Searching
by LavenderSkies
Summary: Since Hime healed him, Grimm's been having visions from his life. Since he's been guarding Hime, Ulqui's been getting a sense of familiarity from her he can't understand. What's the connection btwn these 3? How will their paths change when they find out?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own a Zangetsu keychain.

A/N: The story begins shortly after Orihime heals Grimmjow's arm and runs in a somewhat different direction.

* * *

**Chapter One:**

_He ran down the chaos filled night street as the sounds of cries and screaming chorused with the sounds of clashing metal. The smell of blood was thick in the air. Dead bodies of samurai and civilian alike were strewn everywhere. War was being waged._

_He focused on the walled castle ahead: his destination. Looking up, he found the magnificent structure completely engulfed in flames. He could do nothing but stare until someone beside him spoke, a calm and even voice._

"_I'll find her."_

_He turned his head to find the owner of that voice, another samurai, also staring up at the raging flames. "I'm coming with you," he heard himself say._

"_No. You're wounded." The samurai eyed his shoulder._

_Following that line of sight, he looked down to find that his shoulder was indeed bleeding from a sword wound. And apparently, he was bleeding from quite a few other places as well._

"_Wait for me at the tree on the hill, Genji. If I'm not there by dawn, leave without me." After saying that, the samurai dashed off ahead, not giving him a chance to reply._

_"Oi!" He called after the samurai, but received no response. "Bastard!" he swore under his breath. Then he projected his voice in order to compete with the noise of battle. "I ain't leavin' without you, ya hear?! UKITA!!"_

* * *

Grimmjow bolted up in his bed, frustrated. He'd had that same annoying dream again, the one he'd been having ever since Inoue Orihime regenerated his arm out of thin air. He frowned. _That girl did something to me._

It didn't seem like just another dream, but it didn't really make any sense to him either. Why would he dream about samurai battles from times long gone? Was that supposed to be something from his life? Strange as it was, it did seem distantly familiar somehow. Genji…was that his name? Compared to Grimmjow, it sounded a bit lacking in his opinion, if not outright lame.

All senselessness aside, what bugged him the most about this recurring dream was this Ukita person. He had longer black hair tied up into a high ponytail and was wearing full samurai armor. He definitely looked different without his mask or the markings on his face. But Grimmjow could recognize those piercing green eyes anywhere.

"Ulquiorra," he hissed with distaste. Aizen's number one loyal dog. Everything about him just annoyed the hell out of Grimmjow. The fact that Ulquiorra was stronger only made Grimmjow despise him more. The fourth Espada was definitely on the top of his list of 'people whose asses needed to be personally kicked by him'. To put it plainly…he hated Ulquiorra. _So, what the heck was he doing in my life?!_

He wasn't able to make heads or tails about that dream, and thinking about it only succeeded in putting him in an even fouler mood.

* * *

Ulquiorra entered Orihime's room to find her standing in front of the window staring up at the moon once again. Glancing over at the table, he saw her untouched dinner. "Eat your food, woman. It is your duty to remain healthy so that you may properly serve Aizen-sama when he should call on you."

Without turning around, Orihime gave her quiet reply. "I'm not hungry."

This manner of greeting was becoming routine, and Ulquiorra was losing his patience. She had not eaten since he brought her to Las Noches, and it had already been three days. He had threatened to force feed her, but still she would not comply. Perhaps the fact that he never actually followed through with his threat had strengthened her will. That would not do. He had to break that will and show her who was in control.

Before Orihime knew it, she found herself pinned seated to the couch, Ulquiorra standing over her with a hand around her neck, staring down at her with emotionless eyes. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could even get a word out he had used his free hand to shove rice into her mouth and clamp over her mouth and nose immediately following. She grabbed at his hand with both of hers, attempting to pry it off. In her struggle to breathe, she swallowed the rice in her mouth.

Ulquiorra released her and took a step back. She leaned forward, one hand over her lips and the other on her chest, as she began to cough.

He glanced down at her then turned away, his face void of emotion still. "I did not find that to be particularly enjoyable. If you do not want a repeat, then I suggest you eat." He began to head for the door. "I will return in an hour."

When she heard the door close behind him, Orihime began to sob quietly, failing to hold back her tears any longer.

* * *

Outside Orihime's door, Ulquiorra stared down at the hand he used to force her to eat, almost glaring down at it. To say that the act was "not particularly enjoyable" was a severe understatement. His body practically rejected it with every fiber of its being, and that didn't make any sense to him.

If she wouldn't eat, he had to make her. If she retained any shred of will, he had to break her. It was his duty to guard her and make her submit. Despite the fact that her powers were unique, and she was more than mere trash like the others, she was still only human.

So, what was this overwhelming and uneasy feeling? Guilt? Ridiculous.

He didn't understand. It was rare for him to not understand, and he didn't like it one bit.

* * *

Orihime had returned to her position standing under the window, looking to the moon for whatever little comfort it offered. Still sniffling, trying to get her emotions under control, she did not notice when someone else had entered her room.

"Oi."

Startled, she turned around to find Grimmjow standing there. With his hands in his pockets, he looked at her with a certain amount of disdain in his eyes. He sauntered a few steps into the room, his eyes never leaving hers.

She took an involuntary step back. It was only natural. How could she _not_ hold a certain amount of fear for this person? After she had regenerated his arm, he had immediately used it to pierce through Luppi before completely incinerating the top half of his body. When it was over, he had simply laughed maniacally. Even now, while in a seemingly calm mood, Grimmjow's reiatsu still radiated a certain amount of bloodlust. She didn't know what he wanted with her, but she wasn't sure she wanted to ask.

"Aizen said your power was event rejection," the sexta Espada said, getting straight to the point.

Orihime noted that he did not speak Aizen's name with the same amount of respect the others did.

"Does that mean you can also reject the fact that something's been forgotten?"

Orihime arched her brows and blinked. The question was unexpected and, quite frankly, she wasn't sure what he was trying to ask. "Huh?"

Grimmjow frowned with a small grumble then raised his voice. "I said, can ya bring back lost memories?!"

His reaction made her take another step back. "I…I don't know."

He was on her in a flash with his hand cupped around her chin, bringing her face up closer to his as she stood on the tip of her toes. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "Don't mess with me, princess."

Orihime swallowed nervously. His face was a mere inch away from hers, and she was too intimidated to even look away. When she spoke, she tried her best to control the shakiness in her voice. "I…I'm not. My powers are still kind of new to me, and…I don't understand it completely. Maybe it _can_ restore memories. I don't know. It's never happened before. At least…I don't think it has…"

After staring at her for a few more moments, determining that she was telling the truth, Grimmjow let her go.

She looked at him then, her fear momentarily replaced with curiosity, and wondered if maybe he was remembering something.

Grimmjow turned away and frowned in frustration. _She doesn't know how she did it… Damn it! _Then he unsheathed his zanpakutou and turned back to her with an intense look in his eyes.

Orihime's blood froze. "What are you…?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Before she finished, however, he had swung his zanpakutou and sliced his left arm off.

She gasped in horror as her hands clasped over her lips. Nonetheless, she simply could not tear her eyes away from the bloody severed limb lying on the pristine white floor.

Grimmjow clenched his teeth to prevent himself from screaming in pain. He sheathed his zanpakutou and sat down in a chair at the table, his still attached hand balled into a tight fist on the table. "Fix it," he hissed between strained breathing.

Orihime was still in shock and did not move.

"NOW!"

At that, the girl nearly jumped out of her skin. "Y…yes." She picked up the arm and went over to heal him, her adrenaline pumping through her the entire time. She couldn't understand what just happened, and she didn't dare ask.

* * *

"Stop looking so glum already," Renji complained with an annoyed frown. "It's not like you."

"Shut up, idiot," Rukia retorted. "Who says I'm being glum?" Though she said as much, there was no conviction in her tone. Quite frankly, she didn't sound convincing even to herself.

The two of them were currently at a small teahouse in Soul Society, having lunch. Well…Renji was having lunch, but Rukia merely stared at hers.

Renji sighed and put down his chopsticks, his appetite lost. "Look, Rukia. We still have time. She'll be fine, at least for now," he tried to console. "I don't care what Yamamoto Taichou says, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that whole attack was a set up just to capture Inoue. If Aizen would go through all that trouble just to get her, he must have some use for her."

Rukia nodded, albeit a bit mechanically. She had also come to the same conclusion. But even if Inoue was not in immediate danger, there was still another person she was worried about. Ichigo.

She would like to at least be able to go to the living world to check on him. She knew he would blame himself, especially since he had promised Inoue with so much conviction that he would definitely protect her next time. But all she could do now was worry about him and hope that he would not do anything rash.

* * *

The sun was due to rise in a couple more hours, but still Urahara stood outside his shop and waited. Eventually, he was rewarded with the soft sound of footsteps on the street.

The shop owner's lips curled up slightly in a small smirk. "I thought you would show up about now."

"How did you know I was coming?" came Ichigo's response. The boy was already in shinigami form.

"You want to enter Hueco Mundo, and you thought I would know how to get you there. Am I right?" Ichigo did not reply, so he took his silence as confirmation. "Well, you would be correct. Come along. The preparations have already been made." He turned to lead the way inside.

Ichigo's eyes widened, genuinely surprised. This was turning out to be a lot easier than he had thought.

Before they could get inside, however, a voice stopped them from behind. "Aren't you rushing him just a little too much?"

Urahara turned around to find a boy with short blond hair staring at him with slightly accusing eyes. By now, said boy already had Ichigo's neck all wound up in bandages, practically choking him, while he himself held on to the ends like a leash.

Shinji turned his attention to Ichigo with a frown, tugging him in by the bandages. "What's with leaving a bundle of used bandages in front of our door, huh? Who the _heck_ would want to use your pre-used bandages?"

"Hi…Hira…ko…!!" Ichigo managed to choke out as his face turned blue and his fingers grasped at the white cloth circled around his neck.

Urahara observed, hiding his face behind his fan, but did not intervene.

Shinji finally let go, much to Ichigo's relief. "So, do you like black…or white?"

After a coughing fit, Ichigo gave the vizard a questioning look. "Huh?"

"The color for your funeral, idiot," Shinji said, nonchalant. "Do you want black or white? I figured I could at least tell your family that much. You're going to Hueco Mundo, right?"

"I'm going to save Inoue," Ichigo replied in all seriousness.

"Don't make me laugh," Shinji said, his voice dripping with disdain. "As you are now? You won't even be able to save yourself. That blue haired arrancar would have killed you if I hadn't shown up the other day. He had you beat, and he didn't even have to release his zanpakutou. Not to mention, the guy was even missing an arm. If you lost to that…what makes you think you can take on all of Hueco Mundo?"

"Inoue's my nakama! I can't just leave her!"

Shinji gave him a solid punch in the face, forcing Ichigo to back up a few steps. "Nobody's telling you to abandon her," he said evenly. "Just don't go until you can actually save her."

Ichigo shook his head, trying to clear the dizziness. "But—"

The vizard kicked him in the gut this time, sending him a good ten feet away before catching up with shunpo. Holding a still surprised and disoriented Ichigo on the ground with a foot on his chest, Shinji narrowed his eyes. "I didn't stop you from fighting that arrancar, because I knew you were the stupid type and had to learn the hard way. But apparently, you're stupider than I thought. You're completely outclassed, Ichigo. Go now, and you'll destroy your chance for victory and her chance for survival. I can't let you do that." He stepped away and turned around, slumping his shoulders as he placed a hand over his heart with a sigh. "Orihime-chan is my first crush after all."

Ichigo sat up, one hand subconsciously going to the spot where he had just been kicked, looking away with an exasperated sigh of his own. "Stop making random confessions like that. It's creeping me out!"

Ichigo thought about everything Hirako just said as he began to unwind the bandages around his neck, trying to decide what he should do. But then his perma-frown deepened when, after twenty go rounds, he still wasn't done with the unwinding. "Damn it! How many times did you wind this thing around me?!!"

"Heh…" was the only irking response he got.

Ichigo grumbled and continued to unwind until finally he was free from the damned long strip of white cloth. However, it was too soon for celebration, because underneath the bandages he discovered a metal collar had been secured snugly around his neck. "What?! What the heck is this?!" He tried to yank it off, but failed.

Shinji turned around and faced him, shrugging with a wide grin. "Nothing much. Just something that will electrocute you if you try to step through Garganta."

"Garga-what?" Ichigo asked with a confused frown.

"Garganta," Urahara said, reminding the boys of his presence, "is the portal you must go through in order to reach Hueco Mundo."

"Oh, and only I know how to take that thing off, by the way," Shinji added.

Ichigo was hopping mad by now. "Get this thing off of me right now, you bastard!"

Shinji only grinned. "When you complete your training. So, if you wanna go sooner, you better work harder."

Ichigo gave the blond a major death glare but knew he had lost. If he wanted to go rescue Inoue, he had to clear this obstacle first.

Shinji grabbed the back of Ichigo's shirt and began to haul the boy away. "Hiyori misses handing your ass to ya. You're coming with me."

"Oi!" Ichigo protested as he was being dragged backwards. "I can walk, damn it!"

Shinji ignored him and kept dragging. Then he paused as though remembering something and looked over his shoulder. "Any objections?"

"None at all," Urahara replied without missing a beat. "Just one question…How long?"

"I'll bring him back in a couple of weeks," Shinji replied as a sly grin appeared on his face. "In any case, it will be before winter for sure."

"What?!" Ichigo exclaimed with indignation. "A couple of weeks?! Three days, tops!"

"You wish," Shinji deadpanned.

Urahara watched with an unreadable expression on his features as the boys continued to argue until they eventually disappeared down the road.

At this point, the door to his shop slid open, revealing Ishida and Sado.

"Urahara-san…who was that?" the Quincy inquired.

The exiled shinigami took a moment to contemplate, his eyes still on the empty road. "Probably the only one who can truly help Kurosaki-san at this point."

Ishida wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but now was not the time to deal with it. "If Kurosaki can't go, then Sado-kun and I should go without him."

"No," was Urahara's firm reply. "Even with Kurosaki-san, the odds are not in your favor. Without him, I'm sure you already know, it will be impossible. The two of you should continue your training here until a more opportune time presents itself."

"But…Inoue-san…"

"Don't worry. Aizen won't kill her." Urahara turned to face the boys. "I guarantee it."

"It's not just Aizen I'm worried about," Ishida said with a sigh of resignation. "We have no idea how much control he has over the hollows and the arrancars. There's no telling what could happen."

* * *

A/N: So…that's chapter one. Hope you liked! It took me about two and a half months to get this thing outlined. At this point, the story's pretty much set. So, any new facts that may be revealed in the manga from here on will most likely not be worked into the story unless it's extremely convenient. Heh… So, here's me hoping nothing too contradicting will be revealed before I'm done.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own a Zabimaru keychain.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Orihime had been sitting on her oversized white couch in a daze since the incident with Grimmjow. After she healed him, he simply left, though not before giving her a threat:

_"I don't answer to anyone. If you say a word about this, even Aizen won't be able to save you from me."_

She felt his threat was unnecessary. She wasn't going to say anything. It wasn't like she had anybody to talk to. Who would believe her anyway?

Distracted, she had completely forgotten about her food as well as the _other_ threat she had received earlier that day until the person who had issued said threat stepped back into her room. Her eyes widened as she stared at the fourth Espada, all thoughts of severed limbs suddenly replaced by the promise of force-feeding.

Ulquiorra looked from the girl to the untouched food on the table and back to the girl again, causing her to avert her eyes and lower her head. He picked up the plate of food then walked up to Orihime and simply stood there in front of her, staring down at the top of her head as he thought about how stubborn she was. She would do anything to keep her friends out of harm's way, but if the one at risk was just she, similar threats didn't seem to have the same effect. He really didn't want to force feed her, but she wasn't giving him much choice. Trying to make her eat was becoming more and more of a bothersome burden.

Orihime fidgeted with her fingers. His silence and close proximity combined with the uncertainty of what he was planning to do with that plate of food was nothing short of unnerving.

"Eat your food," he said as he held out the plate to her. "…please."

Orihime blinked in surprise, though she kept her head down. To someone who didn't know Ulquiorra very well, his "please" would have sounded as cold and indifferent as everything else he said. But to Orihime who had spent the last couple of days listening to him drone on and on and on some more about how she was to devote her body and soul to the great and wonderful Aizen-sama, that "please" certainly sounded softer and, surprisingly, actually somewhat pleading. And suddenly, she began to feel a twinge of guilt.

Even though Ulquiorra was the one who kidnapped her, he was only acting under orders. She was sure that if he had a choice, he would much rather have nothing to do with her. Babysitting a prisoner probably wasn't much fun for someone as powerful as he was. If she were to starve to death on his watch, Aizen would definitely not be pleased.

She wondered what Aizen might do to Ulquiorra if that should happen. What would be an appropriate punishment, tailored just for Ulquiorra? Make him take a dive into the trash? Tickle the bottom of his foot with a feather until he bursts out in uncontrollable laughter? Make him wear a grass skirt and dance the hula in front of all the Espada?

Orihime shook her head to clear the imagery. This was hardly the time for such speculations. "Will you be punished if I don't eat?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Ulquiorra arched a brow ever so slightly. "That is not your con—"

"Just say yes," she cut in, her voice nothing but a whisper.

He closed his eyes with an inward sigh. _Foolishness._ "…yes."

Orihime heaved a soft sigh of her own. "…ok…" She looked up at him briefly before taking the plate from his hand and placing it on her lap. Picking up the fork on the plate, she poked at the food for a bit then slowly began to eat.

* * *

Ulquiorra walked leisurely down the halls of Las Noches with his hands in his pockets, his right hand subconsciously fiddling with the small rocks he always carried in his pocket as he thought about his charge. The more he saw that woman, the less he liked his situation. 

Why did he say please? When had he _ever_ said that word in his entire arrancar existence? It was as though his body acted on its own accord. But what had him completely confused was how it felt almost natural to say it at the time. Like a reflex. Of course, he regretted it once it registered in his mind what he had said, but that was beside the point.

There was something about the woman that threatened to disturb the calm rationality within him. The more he interacted with her, the stronger the feeling became. He couldn't pinpoint the reason, nor could he come up with an explanation. For one so rooted in logic, this was a distraction. She was a distraction.

Perhaps the duty of guarding the human girl was not as easy as he had originally thought.

* * *

(Genji – Age six) 

_In the alleyway, he leaned his back against the wall and slid to a sitting position on the ground, too fatigued to go on. His stomach growled. "Shut up…"_

_Genji had spent the entire day scouring every trashcan and side alley for any scrap of food that might help keep him alive for another day. It had been a fruitless effort, and by now he had all but given up. Perhaps today was the day his luck had finally run out._

_He slid the rest of the way down until he was lying on his side against the wall. Was he going to die here like this? Would anybody know? Would anybody care? He was afraid to die, but…at the prospect of having to live out a full life in the way he had been living it…maybe dying wasn't such a bad thing. It was basically just like sleeping, right?_

_As his heavy eyelids began to slide shut, someone walked into his hazy field of vision. Genji tried to focus his eyes, but all he could make out before he lost consciousness was a pair of the most intense green eyes he had ever seen…_

_By the time he came to, Genji was lying on a futon under some nice warm blankets in a room he was unfamiliar with. He sat up, suddenly frantic, wondering where he was._

"_You're awake."_

_Genji turned as a boy walked in with a tray of food. His clothing was plain, making it seem likely that he was a servant. However, the boy carried himself with a certain sense of dignity, which made Genji wonder if he might actually be from a higher class instead. "Where am I?"_

"_You're in my lord Hayashi-sama's castle," the boy replied as he kneeled by Genji's bedside, placing the tray on the floor. "I found you not too far away and brought you here." He held out a pair of chopsticks and a bowl of rice with meat and various vegetables on it._

_Genji blinked once, then quickly took the items from the boy's hands and began inhaling the food._

_The boy watched him, almost studiously. "You shouldn't eat so fast if you have not eaten in a while."_

_Genji, however, was too hungry to comply. This was the first actual meal he'd had in a very long while. Not to mention, the best meal he'd ever had in his entire life._

"_I am Ukita," the boy said as he held out a cup of tea. "What is your name?"_

_Genji took the cup from him eagerly and took a gulp. "Genji," he replied distractedly before immediately diving back into his food again._

_Just then the shoji screen door slid open again, just enough for a curious girl to poke her head in. "Is he awake, yet?" Her expression filled with excitement when she saw that the newcomer was indeed awake and happily bounced into the room._

_Whereas the ravenous boy was too consumed with eating to even notice her, Ukita got to his feet and bowed in greeting. "Hime-sama."_

_The young princess frowned and pouted at him. "Ukita, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?! It's not like there's even anybody here!"_

_The boy merely bowed again, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "My apologies, Hime-sama."_

_She slumped her shoulders with a defeated sigh. "Forget it." She bounced over to Genji and sat beside him with a huge smile on her face. "Hello! I'm Akari! What's your name?"_

_Genji, with rice all over his face, was startled by the sudden loud exuberant voice. He was even more startled to find a rather adorable little girl with long black hair and honey colored eyes, wearing a kimono of the finest silk kneeling beside him, leaning forward so that her face was barely inches away from his, looking at him with wide expectant eyes. Somewhat intimidated, he leaned away from her, still clutching his bowl and chopsticks close to his mouth. "Ge…Genji."_

_She ruffled his short unruly black hair with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Your hair's sticking up everywhere. Did you sleep on it funny?"_

_He grumbled as he tried to move away from her, somewhat offended. "Stop touching! It's always like this!"_

_She cocked her head to the side. "You smell weird."_

"_SHUT UP!!" His face heated up in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. It wasn't **his** fault he wasn't able to bathe in god knows how long!_

_Then suddenly Akari gasped in excitement and leaned in even closer, causing him to lean away further in order to maintain the distance. "Wah! Ukita, look at his eyes! They're icy blue! So pretty!!"_

_Genji looked to Ukita, almost like he was asking for help. The other boy merely looked back at him without saying a word or doing a thing. However, there was definitely a glint of amusement in his eyes._

* * *

Grimmjow lay on his bed with his arms behind his head as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. _Looks like she really can bring back memories…_

* * *

Orihime walked down the hall behind her two escorts, Loli and Menoli. She had just met with Aizen and was now on her way back to her room.

She wasn't sure why he wanted to see her. Their conversation involved nothing more than false pleasantries. He referred to her as an honored addition to the "family" when she was in fact a prisoner. He asked if her stay was comfortable and whether or not she needed anything when they both knew that if she were to say she needed to leave, her need would not be granted. He "asked" her to use her powers for his sake, but it was obvious he wasn't giving her a choice in the matter. And in the end, he never did elaborate on what exactly it was that he wanted her to do.

Ever since she set foot in Las Noches, all she did was regenerate Grimmjow's arm that first day. And even then, it was more like a demonstration than a real service. Did Aizen really just want her to heal his men's battle injuries? She found that a little hard to believe. After all, as soon as Grimmjow's arm was restored, he killed Luppi right there and then, and Aizen didn't even so much as blink. Nor did he ask her to heal Luppi.

Perhaps he wanted her around in case he himself should ever require to be healed, but that seemed unlikely as well. First of all, he was extremely powerful and probably won't need it. He was also highly intelligent. He should know that if he was ever so far gone to require her to save his life, in that situation, she…his enemy and prisoner…would do no such thing. So then…what could it be? Her head hurt from just trying to think about it.

Orihime was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn't even realize she was already back in her room. Looking around now, she also noted that her escorts did not leave. She gave them a slightly questioning look and only then wondered why Ulquiorra hadn't been the one to escort her.

Generally, the fourth Espada was the only person she had any contact with, so she almost expected it. He wasn't particularly nice to her or anything, but he did not treat her poorly. Did he intimidate her? Yes. Did she feel safe around him? Not exactly, but definitely safer than she did with any other arrancar thus far. He certainly did not fit her mind's image of "kidnapper": someone rough and ill mannered with a lack of knowledge in hygiene and a creepy snickering laugh…sometimes with an eye patch...and maybe a hook for a hand.

She shook her head to get back to the here and now. _Not the time, Orihime!_

In any case, Ulquiorra never gave her _that_ look.

Loli was giving her the worst kind of glare, bristling with anger and jealousy as she came closer. Then, without warning, she extended her arm and gave Orihime a solid punch to the face. "Don't let it get to your head just because Aizen-sama's being nice to you. You're just a pathetic little human. You'll never be on the same level as us arrancar." She threw another hit.

Orihime lost her balance and dropped to the floor. However, despite the pain, she did not resist.

"Loli!" Menoli exclaimed with distress. "We'll get in trouble if Ulquiorra-sama finds out!"

"Then we just have to get out of here before he gets back," Loli retorted as she continued happily pounding away. "If we make her heal herself, who's gonna know? Just keep a lookout!"

Menoli frowned in defeat and turned to go to the door only to find herself frozen solid with fear at the sight of the blue haired Espada standing at the doorway. After a moment, she finally managed to choke out his name. "Gr…Grimmjow…"

Still holding Orihime by the collar, Loli's eyes widened as she turned to face the intruder.

Grimmjow looked from one arrancar girl to the other before making eye contact with Orihime. He turned his attention back to Loli. "Pretty stupid to be leavin' the door wide open when you're doing shit you don't want anyone to find out about, huh?"

Loli dropped Orihime and glared at the Espada. "That's none of your business, Grimmjow. Get out of here!"

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. "Since when did I start taking orders from you?" he asked with a voice so impassive it was even more intimidating than when he yelled. He began to approach, causing Loli to reflexively take a step back.

When Menoli foolishly stepped in to try to bar his path, she found herself thrown to the side, flying backwards until she hit the wall with the back of her head, bleeding.

Loli didn't even have time to react when Grimmjow grabbed her head and rammed it against the closest wall, holding her in place. "You wanna try saying that again?"

Orihime got to her feet, concerned that he might actually kill the girl. "Stop! Please!"

Grimmjow paid her no heed.

"Aizen-sama won't forgive you for this!" Loli spat with rage, earning herself a kick in the gut. She doubled over and slipped to the floor, almost blacking out from the pain.

"Like he gives a damn about you," Grimmjow remarked, almost to himself.

At this point, Ulquiorra entered the scene. "What is the meaning of this?"

Everyone turned to him, but nobody spoke.

"Grimmjow…what are you doing here?" the fourth Espada asked.

"Your job, apparently," Grimmjow replied, nonchalant, not even bothering to look the other Espada in the eye.

Ulquiorra finally picked up on Orihime's bruised appearance. Then looking back to Loli and Menoli, he noted the two of them were practically shaking with fear. He walked over to Orihime, scanning her over from head to toe. She didn't look pretty. "What happened?"

Orihime hesitated. She glanced over at Loli and Menoli, both of whom were obviously terrified at this point. With her eyes averted, she replied, "It…it's nothing, really."

Ulquiorra stared at her, surprised by her decision to protect her abusers. Both arrancar girls were shocked, and even Grimmjow arched a brow.

Ulquiorra threw Loli and Menoli each a cold glare. "Leave. I will deal with you later."

The girls immediately bowed and retreated.

Ulquiorra turned his attention back to the human girl. Holding her chin with his hand, he turned her head to either side to get a better look at her injuries.

Unsure of what to make of this sudden contact, Orihime remained still and silent.

Almost absentmindedly, Ulquiorra used his thumb to wipe away the blood from the corner of her mouth where her lips had split. He sighed inwardly. He had hoped to stay away from her as much as possible, but it would appear that delegating his guarding duties to his underlings was not such a good idea after all.

Realizing that Grimmjow was still in the room, Ulquiorra turned to him. "What are you still doing here, Grimmjow?" he asked with his usual calmness.

Grimmjow, who had been noting Ulquiorra's behavior with mild interest, looked over to Orihime as though contemplating before giving his reply. "Nothing."

Ulquiorra did not miss that look. "I don't know why you came here, but I suggest you stay away if you know what's good for you."

"Screw you," Grimmjow mumbled offhandedly.

Ulquiorra heard it, nonetheless. "What did you say?"

The sexta Espada grinned. "I said, what if I don't? Does that mean you'll fight?" If he could provoke Ulquiorra into fighting this time, it might be his lucky day. The guy just irked him so much, he'd been itching to fight him since day one.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and put his hands in his pockets. "I have no interest. Stop making me repeat myself."

"You're not interested? Or are you just scared?"

"Don't waste my time, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow frowned, but he pretty much figured Ulquiorra wouldn't take the bait so easily. "Che." Dissatisfied, he sauntered his way back out.

With that taken care of, the fourth Espada turned back to Orihime. "Heal yourself," he ordered. "I will make sure this never happens again," he said as he headed for the door.

Although Orihime wasn't happy about being someone's punching bag, she certainly didn't want the girls to get killed for it. Here in Hueco Mundo, she wouldn't be surprised if that was the punishment. "Wait! It…it really wasn't a big deal. I can heal myself. I'll be fine."

Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder at her. "This is not about you, woman. It's about order. Those who disobey orders will be punished. You should remember that." With that said, he took his leave.

* * *

A/N: I don't really have a place to say this in the story, so I'll tell you here: Genji and Ukita are the same age, and Akari is a year younger. 

And I'm sure most of you know this, but just in case, "hime" means princess. So, when Ukita calls Akari Hime-sama, he's basically calling her princess.

Since Orihime's been put under Ulquiorra's care, and Loli and Menoli had been given the task of escorting her to meet Aizen in the manga, I thought it was possible that they worked under Ulquiorra. Hmm…to have such fraccions…poor Ulqui. LOL! I actually felt a bit sorry for Menoli when Grimm incinerated her. She seemed like the follower type, just stupidly doing whatever her friend says and got really unlucky. So, in my version, she just gets a splitting headache.

Many thanks for reading and for the alerts! And special thanks to those who reviewed!! It's a great motivator!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own a Byakuya teacup.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

When one were to remain confined to a room with nothing to do in a place where night was perpetual, it was inevitable that the days would begin to blend together. By now, Orihime had already lost track of how many days she'd been in Hueco Mundo. Staring up at the never changing moon, her thoughts of her friends was the only thing keeping her company.

Rangiku-san and Toushirou-kun…Were they still staying at her apartment? Did they remember to take out the garbage? Ishida-kun…He had been absent from school for a while. Was he ok? Did he go back to class? Sado-kun…Was he getting stronger under Urahara-san's training? Tatsuki-chan…she must be so worried by now…

At the thought of her best friend, Orihime became even more downhearted. If Tatsuki were to ever find out that Orihime had been allowed to say goodbye to one person, but that one person she had chosen was not her…would she be upset? As for the boy she did go see…Kurosaki-kun…what was he doing now? And Kuchiki-san…how was she doing?

Orihime smiled sadly. It was funny how thinking of _him_ would naturally make Orihime think of _her_ as well. It was like they belonged together, even in her mind. Ichigo and Rukia shared a deep connection, and Orihime had no part in it. In his eyes, there was only Rukia. Orihime wasn't even in his peripheral vision.

She told herself she shouldn't cry about this anymore, but despite her efforts, her rebellious tears began to fall.

It was at this very moment that Grimmjow decided to walk in on her.

Orihime turned at the sound, startled, with tear streaks on her cheeks.

After taking one look at her, the sexta Espada immediately turned to go. He was _not_ going to deal with this kind of crap.

Unexpectedly, she called out to him. "Grimmjow! Wait!"

He stopped, not because he wanted to comply, but because he was amused that she would actually try to keep _him_ of all people from leaving.

She sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hands as she approached him, a bit unsure. "Um…thank you…for the other day."

Orihime had been thinking since the incident with Loli and Menoli that maybe Grimmjow wasn't as bad as she had originally thought. After all, he did save her, didn't he? True, he had this wild and untamed quality about him…like a jungle man…or a mad scientist's project gone wrong. But maybe deep down, he was actually a really nice guy. Maybe he had a hidden superhero identity, and on rare nights when that unchanging moon hanging outside her window suddenly becomes full, he would transform into a perfect gentleman! With a suit!…and sunglasses!…and a cape!…riding a mask-wearing white horse with a hollow's hole in its neck!

She shook her head to rid the image from her mind.

Grimmjow turned his head away, slightly annoyed. "Don't thank me. Just call it breaking even."

She cocked a questioning brow. "Eh?"

He scowled, not liking to have to actually spell it out. "Are you stupid? For my arm."

Realization dawned on her, and she gave a small smile. "Does that mean I still get another favor since I put your arm back together twice?"

Next thing she knew, she was backed up against the wall, trapped on one side by Grimmjow's hand beside her head and on the other by his zanpakutou against her neck. She held her breath and stared at him with wide eyes.

He leaned his head down closer to hers and grinned almost sadistically. "Be careful, princess, or next time I might decide to slice through you instead."

She gasped as he raised his zanpakutou. Realizing what he was about to do, she squeezed her eyes shut just as he cut his own arm off.

The limb fell to the floor with a thud.

_On second thought…he is definitely insane…_

* * *

Even though Ulquiorra was not the most powerful of Aizen's subordinates, he was the one Aizen relied on the most to actually get things done. The fourth Espada had just finished giving his report on the status of the human girl as well as the continued silence on Soul Society's part and was now waiting to be dismissed.

Aizen sat on his throne with an elbow on the armrest and his chin in hand as he studied the melancholic arrancar who stood before him. There was something slightly…off about him. "Is something troubling you, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra bowed his head slightly. "No, sir."

The ex-captain smiled that paternal smile of his. "Ulquiorra, you are one of my most trusted. You may speak your mind."

Ulquiorra understood. However nicely it may have been phrased, his master and creator was demanding an answer. "Yes, Aizen-sama. It is regarding Inoue Orihime." Seeing that Aizen was not going to respond, he continued. "While her powers are unique, they are not a necessity to our goals. However, to her nakama…especially the humans, she is much more vital. Would it not be more advantageous for us to ensure their loss by simply eliminating her?"

In truth, Ulquiorra had given this much thought ever since he brought Orihime to Las Noches. She really wasn't necessary. She was never a part of the equation to begin with. It was just coincidence that he had caught sight of her on his first mission to the living world, and only after that did Aizen take an interest in her. Even without her, the hougyoku will still awaken. The war will still take place, and the arrancar will still prevail. So then, why did they need to keep her around?

Aizen smirked. "Ulquiorra…always the efficient and rational one. You are correct, of course. I do not require Orihime to accomplish my goals. Nonetheless, don't you think the journey will be more…enjoyable this way?"

Despite the fact that Ulquiorra really wanted to say no, he held his tongue.

"Besides," the shinigami continued, "she makes for the perfect bait, don't you agree?"

Ulquiorra looked up at his master, brows coming together slightly in question. "For the boy?"

"I take it you are referring to Kurosaki Ichigo," Aizen said as he picked up his cup of tea to take a sip. "That boy will make things interesting. He certainly has potential. But ultimately…he is of no real consequence. There are bigger fish in the sea," he finished cryptically.

Seeing that his subordinate did not seem to fully understand his words, Aizen only smirked. He also found it amusing that the ever calm and collected Ulquiorra was actually exhibiting signs of agitation, no matter how minute, from having to deal with their captive. For him to suggest elimination…the girl must be giving him some grief. Aizen nearly laughed at the thought. "Shall I have someone else take over the task of guarding the girl?"

"No," the Espada replied, almost too eagerly. Although he did not want anything to do with Orihime, the though of handing her over to one of his "brothers" made him even more uneasy. Once again, Ulquiorra had to question the logic in that. He bowed his head. "Thank you for your concern, Aizen-sama, but that will not be necessary."

* * *

It was late at night in the living world. With folded arms and a grim frown on her face, Yoruichi stood on the roof of Urahara Shouten as she stared quietly at the back of said shop's owner standing about ten paces in front of her at the edge of the roof.

Ever since Orihime's kidnapping, Urahara had been spending most nights up here just standing there, staring out at nothing. Yoruichi figured he must have been feeling somewhat responsible for the girl's disappearance because of the things he said to her…and because he didn't see it coming sooner. When he was in front of people, he would be his usual annoying self. However, at times like this, she could almost feel the weight around him.

"Kisuke…" she began, not knowing exactly what to say.

At the sound of her voice, Urahara turned around with that sometimes vexing and almost sneaky looking grin plastered on his face, which he then hid behind his fan. "Yoruichi! Going for a midnight run? Trying to keep those sexy thighs in shape, I see," he said flippantly as his eyes traveled down the length of her body to give the full leering effect.

Yoruichi was not amused. "Don't give me that."

"Give you what?" the exiled shinigami asked, feigning innocence. "A nice compliment?"

Her frown deepened, frustration seeping into her voice. "You know what."

Urahara flipped his fan shut, slapping it in the palm of his hand in enlightenment. "Ah! I know. You must be hungry. Come along," he said as he walked past her. "Let's go in for a drink of milk, shall we?"

"Kisuke," she tried again, but by the time she turned around he had already jumped off the roof. Sighing in defeat, she followed after him.

* * *

(Genji – Age nine)

_With an empty kettle slung over his shoulder, Genji strolled along the verandas and covered walkways that wrapped around and connected all the buildings within the castle walls. For someone who was supposed to be working, he was probably walking a bit too leisurely, taking his sweet time to check out all the views in the gardens along the way while remaining protected from the afternoon sun under the shade of the eaves. And for someone who was supposed to be heading for the kitchens, the detour his legs were currently taking him on…all the way out to the dojo…was definitely much too long._

_When he turned the corner, he was surprised to find Akari standing there by herself, peeking through the slightly opened shoji screen door into the dojo with a smile on her lips and a light blush on her cheeks. Curious, Genji went over to see what was so interesting. Standing behind the princess without her even noticing, he followed her line of sight to find Ukita inside practicing alone with his wooden sword._

_Genji all but rolled his eyes. "You know, spying is a bad habit, especially for someone who's supposed to be royalty, Akari," he deadpanned. _

_Akari jumped in surprise, her face flushing red. "Eek! Gen-chan! When did you get here?!"_

"_I told you to stop calling me that!" the boy grumbled. "Just got here. What are you doing?"_

"_Nothing," she said with an embarrassed smile. "Just watching." She turned back around to resume her previous activity. "Did you know that Ukita's father used to be my father's most trusted warrior?"_

_Genji didn't know anything about the other boy's parents. Ukita never talked about them. All he knew was that they weren't around anymore. Since he himself didn't have any parents either, he didn't think it was entirely unusual and figured it was probably a subject best left untouched. "No. What happened to him?"_

"_He died in battle defending my father," she explained sadly. "He was really nice. I liked him a lot. And Ukita used to smile more back then…"_

_Genji scratched the back of his neck, growing uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. "So…is that why he's training? So he can be like his old man?"_

"_Yes! His father was the best!" she responded with enthusiasm. "Everyone says so! So, even though Ukita's just a servant boy right now, he's going to be a great samurai someday!"_

_Genji looked from Akari back to Ukita with a thoughtful expression on his face. "…must be nice…"_

_The princess tilted her head at him curiously. "Maybe Gen-chan should become a samurai, too!"_

_He glowered as he pinched her cheek with annoyance. "Stop calling me by that stupid name!"_

"_Ow! Ow! Ow!" she protested as she tried to pull his arm away. Then she gasped in alarm as she caught sight of something. "Somebody's coming!!"_

_Genji looked over his shoulder to see one of the castle guards coming towards them. "Crap!" He immediately dropped down on one knee, bowing his head before Akari._

_At the same time, the princess also straightened up with her chin held high, an air of dignity about her. "Genji, the tea is too cold," she said, gesturing to the kettle in his hand. "Bring me another."_

"_Yes, Akari Hime-sama."_

"_I would like to have something other than the usual green tea. Make it Oolong this time instead."_

"_As you wish, Akari Hime-sama. Would you like some sweets as well?"_

"_Yes. That's a splendid idea, Genji. Bring me some cakes."_

"_Right away, Akari Hime-sama."_

_The guard disappeared around the corner, and they both sagged with a sigh of relief._

_Genji stared up at Akari while she blinked down at him in return. A moment later, he suddenly jumped back to his feet, intent on resuming his pinch attack, causing her to back up a step with a squeak. However, before Genji's hand could reach her cheek, he was forced to stop when someone else latched a hand firmly around his wrist._

_Ukita looked at Genji and simply said, "If you have this much free time on your hands, you should come with me to run a few errands in town."_

_As Genji twisted his lips, disgruntled, Akari happily hid behind her human shield and stuck her tongue out at him._

_Two hours later._

_Genji was on the busy market street. He and Ukita had split up in order to get things done faster. The errands really amounted to nothing more than buying various items from different places. By now, Genji had already completed his tasks. However, instead of meandering aimlessly from shop to shop as he waited for Ukita to meet up with him, he was on a dead run trying to chase down a thief who had just stolen his coin sack. "Get back here, you bastard!!"_

_Perhaps it was partially his own fault for twirling the sack around his finger as a pastime, practically asking to be robbed, but he didn't have time to think about that at the moment. If he didn't get the money back, his dinner could be at stake! Even worse, he may not be allowed to eat for days! The money wasn't his after all. Who knows what kind of punishment he might get for losing it? _

_With the fear of going hungry for days as his fuel, Genji pushed himself harder until he finally caught up to the thief and launched himself onto his back, both tumbling to the ground. They struggled with each other. However, because the thief was bigger as well as a year or two older, he quickly overpowered the younger boy. _

_Before long, Genji was curled up on the ground, getting the tar kicked out of him. He was already seeing stars when someone else finally intervened and got the thief off his back. He heard the sounds of struggling followed by the sounds of a pair of footsteps running away. Genji closed his eyes, remaining curled up as he coughed, still too in pain to move._

"_Are you all right?"_

_He opened his eyes to find Ukita crouching beside him, holding a hand out to him. Genji frowned. He should have known it would be him. "I'll live," he replied as he took the offered hand and sat up._

"_You should be more careful," Ukita said, handing the coin sack back to him._

"_Yeah, yeah," Genji grumbled, his scowl deepening. "I don't know how to fight like __**some people**__. What am I supposed ta do?!"_

_Ukita raised a brow slightly. "I can teach you."_

_Genji folded his arms and looked away, trying to frown even harder. "I don't want your pity." As if he wasn't already_ _ashamed enough by having to be saved by Ukita again_ _because of his own lack of power…_

"_It has nothing to do with pity," Ukita said as he stood up and began to collect his belongings that were on the ground. "I am many years younger than all the others who are receiving training at the dojo. It will be helpful to have a training partner closer to my age. It will also be good for Hime-sama to have another person who could protect her." When he was finished, he began to walk away. "If you're not interested, I will not force you."_

_Genji grinned. When it was put that way, the idea didn't sound so bad. He grabbed his things and caught up to the other boy. "Are ya sure? I mean, I'll probably get better than you in no time!"_

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_I'm taller than you!"_

"_I see."_

"_What's with that reaction?! You don't believe me?"_

"_I didn't say that."_

_Genji heaved an exasperated breath. "Hmph. I'll show you. Just don't start cryin' when I kick your butt!"_

_Ukita glanced sideways at the boy walking beside him, a small smile playing on his lips. "I will try."_

* * *

A/N: More people have added this story to their alerts. I guess that's a good sign. Thanks for the interest! Though I would really like to hear from you as well. Heh…

Sorry if this chapter's a bit shorter. I just cut them off where it seems to make the most sense.

In the anime, there's a scene at the end of a filler episode right before the capture of Orihime where Aizen asks Ulquiorra his opinion about Orihime's powers, and Ulqui responds that he thinks she will be of use to him. This isn't in the manga, so as far as my story's concerned…it didn't happen. Otherwise the Aizen/Ulqui scene in this chapter wouldn't make much sense.

The veranda Genji was walking on…it's like a continuous porch that wraps around the building. I think most traditional Japanese houses have something like that. In any case, that's the setting I was going for, but I wasn't sure what's the best way to describe it. Haha.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own a Renji teacup.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Grimmjow strode down the halls with agitated purpose as Orihime's words replayed themselves in his mind:

"_Does that mean I still get another favor since I put your arm back together twice?"_

His brows furrowed even more than usual. Why did she have to go and say that?! If there was one thing he hated more than losing a battle, it was to know that he owed somebody _something_. He disliked owing as much as he disliked giving favors. He stood alone, detached from everyone else. He was his own man, and he liked it that way.

Grimmjow kicked open the door to Orihime's room, by now already accustomed to her surprised reaction. He glared daggers at her while she stood motionless, probably waiting for him to tell her why he was here. Eventually, he looked away. "What the hell do you want?" he asked, somewhat grudgingly resigned, still frowning with full force.

"Eh?" Orihime asked with her own frown, completely befuddled. He was the one barging into her room, and he wanted to know what _she_ wanted?

"For the healings, damn it!" he responded, still looking everywhere except at her. "I still owe you two."

She blinked. "Oh! Well…" This certainly was unexpected, and she couldn't think of anything off the top of her head besides… "I want to—"

"You can't leave," he deadpanned before she could even finish.

"Oh…" Even though she already knew that, it was still disappointing.

"Is there someone else's ass you want kicked?" He was good at that, and it was an activity he rather enjoyed.

"Eh? No."

"What?!" he exclaimed, finding that hard to believe. "Not even Ulquiorra?" The sexta Espada was really hoping she'd say Ulquiorra. That would give him enough reason to throw the first punch. Unfortunately for him, her response was a solid "no."

Orihime studied the blue haired arrancar, thinking that perhaps Superhero Grimm might really be buried deep in there somewhere after all. He was so strange. Threatening one moment, almost nice the next, then practically insane immediately following. His actions were unpredictable, but she didn't really get the feeling that he was going to hurt her. She was pretty sure he wouldn't kill her…at least for now…since it seemed like he wanted her "help", if one could call it that. There were so many questions she wanted to ask.

Then her face lit up as the light came on. "Ah! Maybe you can answer some questions for me?"

Grimmjow raised a brow at her strange request, thinking she must be the easiest person in existence to please. "That's it?"

She nodded enthusiastically with a smile.

After a moment's consideration, he sauntered over to the couch and plopped himself down. With his chin in hand and his elbow on his knee, he sat and waited with a bored look on his face.

It was weird, but Orihime actually kind of liked Grimmjow's visits. If nothing else, it took the monotony out of the day, dispelling the loneliness if only just for a short while. It definitely helped take her mind off her current situation.

Feeling a bit awkward, she timidly took a seat beside him, though making sure not to sit _too_ close. Once she settled in, she tapped a finger on her chin, turning her eyes up to the ceiling in thought. There were just so many questions. Which should she ask first? "Umm… Does your mask get in the way when you try to brush your teeth?"

Grimmjow gave her an incredulous frown. Did he even hear her right? "What the _hell_ kinda lame question is that?!"

She scratched her temple with a finger, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Eheheh… Well, I've always wondered since it's kind of just right next to your mouth," she explained, now gesturing with her hands, becoming more animated. "And even if you can brush just fine, it must be easy to get toothpaste and that bubbly foam on the underside of the mask, and then it must be annoying to try to wash it back out, and…" She paused as she noted how Grimmjow's expression had evolved from incredulous to shock. She tilted her head. "Do you not brush your teeth?"

"Ask a different question!" he all but yelled.

Orihime jumped slightly at his volume. "Oh…well then…" She cleared her throat and looked away. "Grimmjow, are you…masochistic?"

Dead silence.

When she glanced back at him, his expression had evolved once again from shock to something more akin to horrified. So, she elaborated. "But you keep maiming yourself!"

"Heck no! It hurts like hell!"

"Then…why?" She was honestly confused. "You asked me that first time if I could reject memory loss. So…are you remembering something?"

He heaved a sigh of exasperation as he leaned back on the couch. "Yeah. Things from…when I was human." He figured he might as well tell her that much. She probably was curious about the extent of her powers, since she seemed rather clueless.

"Really?!" she exclaimed, genuinely intrigued. She wasn't aware she had the ability to do that! Truthfully, she couldn't consciously reject memory loss. She had no idea how. This was almost like a side affect…one that had never happened to anyone else that she had healed before. So, why was Grimmjow the only one? Was there something special about him?

She couldn't help wondering what it was that he remembered. Maybe he was a heavy metal rock star in life…or the ice cream man …blue jay maybe? His hair _did_ seem kind of…feathery. But no, wait…he did say he was human. "What did you remember? What were you like?" She had to ask.

Grimmjow looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "That's none of your business."

"Oh…" she said, deflated. "But it must be something exciting, right? Since you keep trying to remember more."

He didn't respond to that. In actuality, it was more the opposite of what she was thinking. He saw something he _didn't_ like…not to mention the fact that it was really cutting into his sleep. It pissed him off, so he wanted to get to the bottom of it. But the memory was still just coming back in disjointed bits and pieces, pissing him off even more. As to the things he was actually seeing, he wasn't sure what to make of it. Had he really known Ulquiorra pretty much all his life? And that girl. She seemed…

Orihime's sigh brought him out of his reverie. "Fine, if you don't want to tell me then let's go back to the previous topic. Instead of cutting off your arm, maybe you can just…cut off a finger instead?" She couldn't believe she was having this rather morbid discussion, making the suggestion as though she was merely suggesting that he trim his hair rather than shave his head.

"Hell no!" He gave her that look again, like she was saying the stupidest thing. Sure, lopping off a limb hurt like there was no tomorrow, but he was Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, damn it! A little pain wasn't anything he couldn't handle. What kind of sissy would he be to go cutting off a pinky instead, just to avoid some blood and pain?!

Seeing that he didn't like her idea, Orihime made another suggestion. "Then what about that huge scar right down your torso? I can heal that, and you won't have to cut anything." She leaned towards him, stretching an arm out to point to the scar.

He grabbed her wrist before her hand got too close, giving her a warning look. Then he grinned. "You ain't touchin' this one, princess. It's a reminder of another kind of debt that I owe a certain orange haired punk of a shinigami."

Orihime gasped and whispered, "Kurosaki-kun…" She had no idea they had fought, and the sexta Espada was obviously holding a grudge.

Grimmjow arched a brow slightly at her recognition but didn't think much of it, opting to change the subject instead. "Ya know, that was a lot of questions you just asked," he pointed out, her wrist still firmly locked in his hand. "I think you owe me something now." With his other hand, he pulled his zanpakutou out of its sheath, the grin still on his face.

"What?! But you didn't even answer half of them!" she protested.

"Yeah, I did," he replied, unperturbed. "You just didn't like my answers." He raised his blade.

"No, wait!" Orihime didn't really want to see…or be so close. She turned the other way and used her free hand to cover her eyes. She heard the slice and felt the grip of his hand on her wrist fall away.

Then there was silence.

A few seconds later, his dismembered arm landed on her lap, causing her to yelp. "Eek!!" The arrancar were so prone to violence and bloodshed, she really couldn't understand why Las Noches was so darn white! All the blood splatters just show up in stark contrast…like what was on her dress and couch at the moment.

"Fix it."

His voice was so surprisingly calm, almost tranquil, that it drew her attention. When she turned to look, his eyes were closed as he tried to keep the pain from showing on his features. Blood was dripping from his open wound.

She sighed. "You are so reckless," she said quietly. Scooting closer to him, she summoned the powers of her Souten Kishun.

* * *

She knocked.

"Come in."

Rukia stepped into her captain's office. "You wanted to speak with me, Ukitake taichou?"

The man often referred to as the nicest commanding officer to have ever walked the grounds of Seireitei looked up from his paperwork and flashed her that nicest commanding officer smile. "Ah, Kuchiki, I have an assignment for you."

"Yes, sir," Rukia said, standing at attention. "What is the assignment?"

"Take a trip to the living world and check up on our favorite shinigami substitute."

She blinked. "Ichigo?"

"Of course. Who else would it be?"

"But…I thought…"

"You do not wish to go?"

"No, of course not!" she said quickly. "But…"

He laughed politely. "He will be a great asset in the coming war after all. Just go make sure he's doing fine and report back to me."

"Yes, sir." Rukia bowed, her head still reeling. She couldn't believe her luck. She never thought that such an assignment would even come up! She had been so worried, and now she finally had a chance to go see Ichigo.

"Oh, and Kuchiki," Ukitake said, cutting into her thoughts. "When you return, I expect you to be…not so glum." He smiled, obviously teasing now.

She winced inwardly. Had she really been that obvious? Then she returned his smile. "Thank you, Ukitake taichou. You spoke up on my behalf, didn't you?"

He chuckled lightly. "I would love to take the credit, but…believe it or not…it was actually Byakuya's suggestion."

Rukia's eyes doubled in size. "Nii-sama?!!"

"Yes. He said it would be wise for us to keep an eye on Kurosaki Ichigo because, and I quote, 'He is a reckless imbecile who, if left to his own devices, will undoubtedly do something decidedly foolish.' He goes on to say that for whatever reason, Ichigo seems to listen to you and, therefore, you should be the one to take the assignment."

"I…I see…" Understandably, the adopted Kuchiki was in a bit of a stupor.

Ukitake laughed again, causing him to cough slightly. "Well then, Kuchiki. I believe you have a job to do."

She smiled more brightly this time. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"I'll bet two of my books on three minutes," Risa said, tossing the items on the ground.

"Can't you bet something a little more useful?" Kensei asked with a disapproving frown. "Who'd want your so-called 'books' anyway?"

Risa adjusted her glasses. "You borrow them enough, so I'm sure at least you do."

"I do not!" he hollered, red faced. "Stop making things up!"

"Mmm….Mashiro didn't finish her dessert, so…here," the green haired girl said as she put down her half eaten cookie. "I say ten minutes!"

Kensei slapped his palm to his forehead with a sigh. "Ok, fine. Anyone else?"

Love rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…Why don't you try your luck, Rose?"

"I don't have anything to bet," the blond replied, seemingly uninterested.

"Bet your guitar," Love suggested helpfully.

Rose had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. "I am not going to bet my guitar."

"All right, then, I'll bet my manga," Love announced. "Latest volume. Fifteen minutes."

"And _you_ are not going to bet _my_ manga," Rose said sternly.

"Aw, come on, man," Love tried to persuade. "I'll win for sure!"

Ichigo stood and observed the five vizards who were sitting around in a circle, placing their bets. "Why?" he asked darkly with a twitching eyebrow, his hands balling up into fists. Then he exploded. "Why do you people only bet on how long I will last before I lose?! Why doesn't anyone ever bet on me winning?!"

Everyone just turned to look at him with various emotions on their faces, ranging from indifference to surprise.

"Because that's not a bet," Shinji said as he came and stood beside Ichigo, answering for the group. "That's what we call a donation."

Ichigo almost growled as he gave Shinji the worst death glare he could muster. "Bastards…all of you!" With a hmph he turned and walked away, mumbling curses under his breath. His hand reached over his shoulder for Zangetsu. "Hiyori! I'm definitely going to win this time!"

Standing in the distance waiting impatiently with folded arms, the youngest vizard hollered back. "It ain't bedtime yet, baldy! Save your dreams for tonight!"

When their blades finally crossed, everyone settled in to watch. Even though they enjoyed giving Ichigo a hard time, nobody ever doubted that he had an incredible amount of raw power within him. He just needed to learn how to properly harness it.

Shinji grinned as he observed. _Deny it all you want, Ichigo, but you can't change the fact that you are what you are. You're one of us now…_

Then he frowned as his senses faintly picked up on something. A newly familiar reiatsu. He sighed inwardly. _It might give away our location if she hung around too long…_

After taking a moment to mull over what he should do, Shinji used shunpo to transport himself over to Ichigo, snatched him by the back of his collar, and began to drag him away.

"What the heck?!" the orange haired boy exclaimed indignantly.

"Hey, where ya taking that baldy, baldy?!" Hiyori fumed.

"Be back in a minute," Shinji said, waving a casual arm as he ascended the stairs that led from their underground training room back up to the old abandoned warehouse, Ichigo in tow. "Hachi. Open the barrier up top."

"Of course," the big guy replied, immediately getting to work on that.

"Where the heck are we going?!" Ichigo demanded when they finally reached the surface. "The match isn't over, yet!"

Shinji chose to ignore that. "You have a visitor," was all he said as he unceremoniously booted the other boy out the door.

As Ichigo stumbled out into the open, he realized it was night. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was surprised to see who was standing there waiting for him. "Ru…Rukia… What are you doing here?"

"Idiot. What do you think?" she said. "To make sure you don't go off doing anything stupid on your own." She quirked a brow as she noticed the new accessory around his neck. "What's with the dog collar?"

"It's nothing!" he yelled in attempt to cover his embarrassment. Then he hung his head, becoming downcast. "I couldn't do it," he admitted quietly. "I promised Inoue that I would definitely protect her next time. I couldn't keep my promise."

After a drawn out pause, Rukia spoke. "Ichigo…"

When Ichigo looked up, instead of seeing Rukia's face, his sight was met with the bottom of her shoe. A split second later, so did his face as she kicked him and sent him hurtling away to land on his back.

Ichigo jumped to his feet and marched right back to her, severely pissed. "What the heck was _that_ for?!"

"For being a super depressed melodramatic moron!" she replied, matching his temper.

"I wasn't being any of that! I was just telling the truth, you idiot!"

"You were being stupid!"

"Why you—" Her knuckles came down on his skull and he doubled over. "That hurts, damn it!" He was prepared to swear up a storm, but when he looked up again and saw that sad, almost pained look in her eyes, his anger dissipated.

"Stop thinking that way," she said. "It's not over, yet. Aren't you training so you can go bring her back?" She looked pointedly at the abandoned warehouse.

Ichigo followed her line of sight, then turned his head away to avoid her eyes. He didn't want to talk about his relationship with the vizards. "Ah."

"Then don't beat yourself up over it just yet," she reasoned. "Concentrate on getting stronger."

Ichigo thought about it for a moment then smiled faintly to himself. It was strange how Rukia's pound-yell-talk sessions always had a way of helping him clear up his mind and focus on what he needed to do. "Ah."

"And when you're ready, I'll be coming with you."

He blinked. "Huh? But I thought…Soul Society wouldn't…"

"Don't be stupid," she said sternly. "Inoue is my nakama, too. I won't abandon her, no matter what Soul Society decides."

Ichigo was still confused. "But…didn't you say you came to make sure I don't go off doing anything stupid?"

"'…_on your own'_", she repeated her words. "If you're going, I'm going. There's no way I'm letting you go to Hueco Mundo without me."

Ichigo looked away. Sure, he wanted to save Inoue, but…he wanted to protect Rukia as well…

Rukia grew worried when she saw his indecision. She took his hand in hers, a serious look in her eyes. "Ichigo…promise me you won't go without me."

They stared at each other for a drawn out moment. Then he tightened his grip on her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "Ah."

* * *

(Genji – Age fifteen)

_He was halfway delirious and wasn't able to feel much beyond excruciating pain. With a hand on his side, trying to stop the bleeding from a rather nasty sword wound, and an arm slung over Ukita's shoulder, Genji let the other boy help him to the futon. Stubbornly, however, he refused to lie down, choosing to remain sitting up instead._

_Hurried footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Then the door slid open, revealing a frantic and breathless Akari. "Gen-chan!" She rushed to his side._

_Even half dead, Genji found the strength to roll his eyes. "Quit…calling me that…"_

_Ignoring his complaint, she gently moved his hand away from his wound. Then she placed her own palm over the wound, causing him to hiss in pain. She closed her eyes and her hand began to give off a soft warm glow. Before long, his wound healed up as though it had never been pierced to begin with. With his life no longer in danger, Akari sighed in relief._

"_That's the third time, Genji," came Ukita's quiet chiding. "Keep fighting like that, and your luck will run out soon enough."_

_Genji grumbled. "We won, didn't we? Besides, I've got Akari here, so what the hell does it matter?"_

"_That's only provided someone will be there to drag you back every time, and you do not bleed to death before getting back here," Ukita replied calmly._

_Genji opened his mouth to retort, then simply huffed when he couldn't find the words._

_Akari frowned with a small pout, holding Genji's hand in both of hers. "Stop being so reckless, Gen-chan." Before Genji had the chance to berate her again for the nickname, she gasped as she noticed the cut on Ukita's forearm. "Ukita! You're hurt, too!" She went over to him and examined his wound._

"_It's fine, Hime," the stoic warrior assured._

"_Stop calling me that, will you?" she frowned up at him._

_From his spot on the futon, Genji snickered. "Heh. Look who's talking? You get what you give."_

_The princess turned her frown on him._

"_What?" the newly revitalized warrior asked gruffly. "Hey, at least you weaned him off 'Hime-sama'. Maybe by the time he's sixty he'll—Ow!" A small rock hitting the side of his head cut his rambling short. He rubbed his temple and threw a glare at Ukita. Despite the fact that there were no outward signs that Ukita had done anything, Genji had been at the receiving end of these attacks enough times to __**know**__ it was him. "Damn it! What kinda guy keeps a bunch o' rocks in his pockets all the time?!"_

"_The kind that has a use for them," Ukita replied without missing a beat, barely keeping his amusement in check._

_Genji narrowed his eyes before turning away. "Tch! Bastard…"_

_Akari proceeded with healing Ukita's arm. When she was finished, she proceeded with…just standing there with her hands and eyes still on his arm. _

_Ukita watched her but said nothing, remaining still._

_Genji watched the both of them until he finally got bored. "Ya know, __**I**__ was the one who nearly died here," he drawled, "but you sure didn't keep touchin' __**me**__ forever."_

_Akari jumped back with an embarrassed blush. "Eek! Gen-chan!" she said, stomping her foot, slightly frantic. "That's…I was just thinking!"_

"_Right, right. Sure you were," Genji said, sly grin firmly in place. "And I bet I know what you were thinking about, too."_

_The princess ran over to him with haste so she could cover his mouth before he said anything she didn't want to hear…which she was sure he was about to do._

"_Stuff like— Ow!"_

_Another flying rock beat her to the task._

_Genji glared._

_Ukita smirked, ever so slightly…_

* * *

Grimmjow sat up in his bed. _You have GOT to be kidding me…_

Akari's words returned to him. _"Stop being so reckless, Gen-chan."_

Then Orihime's. "_You are so reckless."_

He raked a hand through his hair with a humorless laugh. _This is just friggin' hilarious…_

* * *

A/N: Grimm cuts off his arm then tosses it onto Orihime's lap. Hope that humor wasn't too morbid. I thought it was funny. Haha! "Does your mask get in the way when you try to brush your teeth?" That's actually my burning question for Grimm. I just wonder sometimes…

Hmm…guess Ulquiorra isn't in this chapter at all. At least Ukita made a show, so I don't feel too bad. Heh… He'll be back next chapter.

Merry Christmas, people! I can't believe I'm updating on Christmas Eve…I have no life. If you're interested, here's my Ulqui/Hime/Grimm X-mas card type thing:

http :// murasaki-no-sora. deviantart .com/ art/ X-mas-Sandman-70686891 (take out the spaces)

You have to click the "Download" link to see the actual thing.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own the season one DVD box set.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Instead of just idly standing there staring up at the moon as usual, Orihime was pacing back and forth in her room. She was anticipating, hoping that Grimmjow would return to make another "trade" to have his arm reattached, because this time, unlike the last, she actually had a request.

Orihime had been doing a lot of thinking and finally came to the conclusion that she had to do _something_. She felt useless being the only one who wasn't doing anything useful while the rest of her nakama were out there making an effort, struggling. True, she came to Las Noches in the name of protecting her nakama, but did she _really_ protect them? No. All she did was buy time. When the time comes, fighting will still ensue.

She remembered Urahara's words to her when he had asked her to pull out of the fight…words that were harsh, yet, rang with truth. She was a burden and would only be in the way. She didn't want that to be true, so she continued to train. However, by being captured, didn't she prove that he was right?

Orihime frowned. This was something she needed to rectify. She didn't want to be a burden anymore, so she needed to take some sort of action. Since she was in enemy territory, or on the inside so to speak, there must be _something_ she could do.

She had briefly toyed with the idea of rejecting the hougyoku, but was it even possible? It was such a powerful object, and she didn't really understand it. Was it safe? What if she awakened it by accident? If she failed, would there be catastrophic repercussions? She didn't know.

Orihime took a deep breath and sighed. She was thinking too far ahead. The first thing she had to do was find a way to get her captors to trust her enough to let her out of her room. Truth was, there wasn't even a lock on her door. It was just an extremely massive stone slab which, with her mere human strength, she could not open. She would worry about what to do later. First, she must find a way out of her confines.

Caught up in her musings, Orihime had failed to notice when the one she had been waiting for entered her room. However, that changed fast enough when Grimmjow decided to make his presence known by abruptly grabbing her from behind with one arm around her shoulders, pulling her towards himself. The sudden tug backwards made her reflexively hold onto his forearm with both hands. To say she was surprised would be an understatement.

Grimmjow lowered his head to get closer to her neck. Then he inhaled as though trying to breathe in her soul. Orihime's eyes widened as blood rushed to her cheeks, but before her brain could catch up to what was happening, he broke contact, just as abruptly as he had embraced her. With one hand on her chest trying to calm her heartbeat, she turned to face her visitor.

By now the sexta Espada had already taken a few steps away from her with his back turned, consumed in his own thoughts with one hand on his head, disheveling his already unruly hair. "Crap. I was right," he grumbled to himself. "You don't just look like her, you _are _her." He wondered why he never made the connection before. If Orihime had black hair, she would look _exactly_ like Akari.

Behind him, Orihime had heard what he said. "Eh?! I'm who?" She gasped in excitement. "You mean you see me in your memory? Like…in another life?! That's so cool! Who was I? Were we friends or something? I hope I wasn't your mother…that would make things awkward."

The sudden onslaught of questions made Grimmjow turn around and fix a glare on her. He really would rather not tell her anything, but seeing how interested she was in the matter at the moment, she would probably make it her request in exchange for another healing. It was probably better for him to leave and come back another time. With that decision made, he started to head for the door without saying another word.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Orihime exclaimed as she ran over to the door and barred his exit. "I have…I have a favor to ask."

"I ain't telling ya," he deadpanned.

"No." She looked at him with pleading eyes. "It's something else."

Grimmjow raised a brow in query.

"I would like to speak with Aizen-sama," she explained. "Can you get me an audience with him?"

He frowned. "Why the hell do you wanna see that prick?"

"Well…" she began as she looked to the side. "I just want to see if maybe he would let me leave my room every now and then. You know. Since I'm going to be here forever and ever."

He looked at her as the gears in his head began to turn. Then a grin spread across his face. "Ya know, that's the best idea that ever came out of your mouth. Come on." He grabbed her by the wrist and marched out of the room.

"W-wait!" she exclaimed a bit frantically as she was being dragged down the hall. "You're taking me to Aizen-sama now?!"

"To hell with Aizen."

Orihime blanched. This was going to be disastrous. What was he thinking just whisking her away? He really was reckless. "Then where are we going?"

"Who cares?" All Grimmjow knew was that if he took her away, Ulquiorra would definitely be pissed. And he will come. Today was the day that he will finally have his fight! Nothing will stop him this time.

True to Grimmjow's prediction, not long after the two of them had left the walls of Las Noches, Ulquiorra intercepted. "Where are you taking her…Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow could barely contain his grin. "Wherever the heck I want."

Ulquiorra looked from the other Espada to the worried expression on Orihime's face and back. "Aizen-sama left her in my care. Hand her over."

"You'll have to go through me," Grimmjow said with an ever-widening grin.

"Grimmjow!" Orihime was shocked as she finally realized what he was trying to do.

Ulquiorra heaved an internal sigh. He, too, knew exactly what Grimmjow's intentions were. It couldn't be helped, he supposed.

Grimmjow watched as Ulquiorra calmly placed his hand on the hilt of his zanpakutou before promptly disappearing from sight. The sexta Espada's eyes widened as alarm bells went off in his head. "Shit!" Before he knew it, Ulquiorra was already beside him, his zanpakutou swinging down towards Grimmjow and Orihime's joined limbs, forcing Grimmjow to let go of her wrist and jump back. Ulquiorra stepped in between the two and, with a smooth horizontal swing of his blade, caused Grimmjow to retreat even further, effectively regaining custody of the girl.

The blue haired Espada was practically overflowing with frustration. It had only taken all of _two seconds_ for Ulquiorra to regain control over the situation. His ego could _not_ accept a defeat like this!

Ulquiorra returned his zanpakutou to its sheath. "I will overlook it this time. Stay away from her, Grimmjow."

"I don't want you to overlook it, damn it!" Grimmjow hollered, eyes burning with rage. "I want you to fight!" He held out his arm and shot a Cero from the palm of his hand.

The fourth Espada pulled Orihime behind him and countered with his own Cero, shooting it from the tip of his finger. As a result, his more powerful attack deflected Grimmjow's and threw him to the ground.

When the dust cleared, Grimmjow was lying on his back. He wasn't unconscious, but he wasn't moving either.

Seeing that Grimmjow wasn't going to make another move, Ulquiorra took hold of Orihime's wrist and turned to go.

Orihime looked back to Grimmjow with concern in her eyes as she was being dragged away once more.

Left alone in the desert, Grimmjow remained where he was and simply brooded. Though he was on the ground, he had sustained practically zero damage. That meant Ulquiorra didn't use his full strength in his Cero, just barely enough to overpower his own. It was like an insult, and it pissed him off! Or…at least it should. He just wasn't feeling the rage quite like he wanted to. After all, if Ulquiorra was able to overpower his attack with a wimpy Cero, didn't it also mean that his _own_ Cero didn't have much bite to begin with?

He grumbled, his brows creasing into a deeper frown. He had been really anxious to get it done…his fight with Ulquiorra. He was beginning to feel that the longer he waited, the more he was losing his resolve to go through with it…

* * *

On her way back to her room, Orihime made an observation: Mr. Those-who-disobey-orders-must-be-punished had just let Grimmjow off the hook! And rather easily, at that. She was relieved of course, but still, it was unexpected.

It wasn't until they had returned to her room that Ulquiorra let his firm hold on her wrist drop. He scanned her over with his eyes. "Did he hurt you?"

Orihime blinked. Funny that those should be the first words he speaks, despite the indifference in his delivery. "Uh…no, not at all. He was just…trying to help." _Well…sort of…_

He paused, giving her a slightly blanker than usual look as if to say 'that does not compute'.

"Really!" Orihime insisted. "I wanted to go see Aizen-sama to see if maybe I could get permission to get out of my room. If I'm _supposed_ to be one of you now, I'd like to at least be able to walk around in Las Noches. And it's not like I can escape from Hueco Mundo anyway. I don't even know how to open the dimensional portal thing."

Ulquiorra considered her words for a moment. "Very well. Starting tomorrow, I will allow you to leave your quarters."

"Eh?!" It seemed people were just surprising her left and right today. "Just like that?"

"However," he continued, "it will be for a length of time that I see fit, and you will be under my supervision."

"But why?" she protested. "I told you, I can't escape."

"I am well aware of the fact that you are unable to summon Garganta," he replied evenly and with authority. "From the beginning, your isolation was meant more for your own protection than as a means to prevent escape. I am sure you are aware of the hostility that some bear towards you."

The incident with Loli and Menoli returned to her mind. And although Luppi was gone now, his attitude towards her was not something Orihime had forgotten. Supervised outings weren't exactly what she had in mind, but it was a start. She'd take what she can get.

She nodded her consent.

He took his leave.

* * *

Next day, as promised, Ulquiorra brought Orihime out of Las Noches. They now stood in the desert, looking out at an expanse of…even more desert. The night air was chilly, and, other than the sound of a light wind, everything was quiet.

Orihime crouched down to pick up a handful of sand, letting it slip through her fingers. She looked over at her guard who was stoic as usual, standing with his hands in his pockets as he stared out into the nothingness.

She turned to face forward again with a small sigh. The situation was almost like he was walking his dog or something. At least a dog owner would play fetch with his pet. Ulquiorra was so quiet. He hardly even moved. He was like a doll. Well…maybe a voodoo doll. And maybe he had a button on him somewhere that one could push to activate preprogrammed phrases like…"Aizen-sama is the greatest!" and…"Eat your food, woman," and…"Stop wasting my time, Grimmjow."

She shook her head to get off that train of thought and glanced over at him again. If he were going to stand there like a statue the entire time, it would make her really uncomfortable. Perhaps she should at least _try_ to talk to him, but what would be a good Ulquiorra topic? He seemed to have something against trash, so…maybe he'd appreciate recycling? He was intelligent and logical, so…maybe he would know a thing or two about physics? Eventually, Orihime gave up and started with the basics: weather. "Is it always this chilly in Hueco Mundo?"

Ulquiorra gave her a sideways glance as though contemplating whether or not he should reply. "A desert without sunlight can only be as such."

"And is all of Hueco Mundo just one big desert? No oceans or lakes? Grass?"

"Hollows have no need for such things," he said simply.

Orihime sighed. "I suppose not." Then she mumbled in a lower voice to herself, "But shouldn't hollows at least have a need for a pastime? There's nothing to _do_ around here." She turned her head back up to the arrancar once more. "Ulquiorra, what do you do for fun on your free time?"

He looked at her like she had just spoken gibberish.

"You know…um…" She scratched her cheek lightly in thought. "For instance, sewing is my hobby, and I was in the handicrafts club at my school. Grimmjow seems to really like fighting…a lot. So, what's your passion? Do you like to fight, too?"

Ulquiorra returned his gaze out to the distance. "I only fight when necessary. Pointless battles are a waste of time. Meaningless activities are also a waste of time."

Orihime frowned. She interpreted that to mean 'I have no hobbies'. "So…you just do whatever Aizen-sama tells you to do and…that's it? You have nothing you want or like to do for yourself?"

The sad and almost pitying tone in her voice did not escape his notice. "He created me. I do his bidding. That's all there is."

Trying to absorb what he had just told her, Orihime began thinking about hollows in general. They became hollows because they'd lost a part of themselves; they'd lost their hearts. Perhaps Ulquiorra had lost all his passions and interests when he became a hollow.

Then her thoughts turned to Grimmjow and how he was trying to remember his life. Did all hollows forget everything about who they were when they were alive? To not be able to recall one's own identity…that was such a sad thing. "Ulquiorra, do you remember anything from when you were alive?" she asked in a quiet, thoughtful voice almost like she was merely thinking out loud as her hand played with more sand. It wasn't a question she had expected him to reply to, and so she was surprised to hear his answer after a brief pause.

"No."

She blinked. "Do you remember why you became a hollow?" Spirits became hollows because there was some attachment they couldn't let go of…something they were fixated on. They should at _least_ be able to remember something _that_ important, shouldn't they?

Her question was met with silence. Just as she was about to write it off as a 'no comment' and ask a different question instead, he spoke.

"…I was searching for something."

She looked at him with slightly slacked jaws for a few moments before she found her voice again. "What were you searching for?"

His brows creased slightly. "…I do not remember."

"Do you want to?"

He blinked as though suddenly remembering where he was, and he became distant again. "What is the point of remembering something that has no meaning or relevance any longer?"

Orihime wondered if he truly believed that or if he was merely saying so because he couldn't remember. Will he change his mind if he did? Because Grimmjow seemed to be exhibiting changes since he began to regain his memories. Then again…was it really a good thing to remember since hollows are clearly no longer human? Remembering won't change the fact that they still need to consume human souls. Would the memory only become a source of confusion and grief, giving them back the attachment they shouldn't have any attachment to, making them feel torn about who they were and where they stood? She didn't know.

While Orihime was lost in her musings, Ulquiorra was consumed in his own thoughts as well, his hand fiddling with the rocks in his pocket. Why did he answer all her questions? He had planned to remain aloof, but that had proven difficult to do. He had already known beforehand that it would be difficult, so why had he agreed to let her out of her room in the first place? It was as though he had willingly set up a trap for himself to walk into, and walk in he did. Up until now, he had been doing so well maintaining his distance, seeing her only when necessary. Yet, it seemed natural to guard her. It had a sense of familiarity about it that was almost nostalgic, and he couldn't understand why.

Nonetheless, he was only doing his duty. As long as his actions fell within those perimeters, it shouldn't matter how he felt about it. If he liked it, that was fine. He shouldn't waste time dwelling on it.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes fractionally, backtracking a step in his thoughts… He liked it? Didn't he _just_ finish telling her that his only purpose was to serve Aizen-sama?

He shook the thought from his mind. No. He wasn't going to dwell on it. He was doing his duty. He was fine.

Orihime tapped a finger on her chin with a thoughtful frown on her face. "Ulquiorra, why don't _you_ ask me something?"

The only question he could think of was: "Why?"

"Because then it feels more like a conversation." With her constant bombardment of questions, she felt like she was interrogating him.

He heaved an inward sigh. "Do you always ask so many strange and irrelevant questions?"

The girl blinked. "Mmm…I don't think they're _that_ strange…but Grimmjow says they're lame…and from the look on his face, I think he thought they were pretty weird, too, so…yes?" She shrugged her shoulders.

Ulquiorra stared at her for a moment. The question was more rhetorical, so he found it somewhat amusing that she responded with a straight answer as opposed to simply deny his claim. When the meaning of her words registered…namely the 'yes' part…he looked away with another inward sigh. "I will take note."

Orihime laughed lightly at his response. The way he said it with such dead seriousness simply made her laugh. If it had been Grimmjow…or anyone else for that matter…she would have known he was being sarcastic. But did the ever stoic Ulquiorra _do_ sarcasm? Just the thought itself was funny enough.

As for Ulquiorra, he wasn't sure what was so funny and probably would have asked if he hadn't been distracted by the sound of her laughter. This was the first time he'd heard her laugh. Nevertheless, even though it was the first time, it reminded him of…something. Something he should know but could not place. It bothered him, but…at the same time, he couldn't help but be drawn to it.

Orihime gave a soft smile. "Thank you, Ulquiorra, for bringing me here." She turned her head up to the sky. "The moon…it's much nicer when I'm not looking at it through bars."

He considered her briefly. "Would you like to return tomorrow?"

Her smile brightened. "Yes!"

"Very well." He turned and began to head back. "Come."

As she followed without question, Ulquiorra reaffirmed to himself: He was doing his duty. He was fine.

* * *

From a distance, atop the grand structure of Las Noches, Grimmjow watched the fourth Espada and his charge return with an unreadable expression on his features, noting the smile on Orihime's face.

Unbeknownst to all three of them, from within the castle walls, a certain one-eyed Espada was also watching the pair with great interest.

* * *

A/N: Orihime's door…in the anime, it was a way too regular and homey looking door. I laughed when I saw it. Haha! But I swear that in the manga it looks like a gigantic thick slab of something. I figured if it was unlocked but heavy, it would explain why everyone under the moon could just barge in but she can't get out. Makes sense to me.

It's a bit more subtle, but Ulqui has a soft spot for Grimm, even if he doesn't know it himself. Kinda works well with explaining why he personally showed up to stop Grimm from fighting with Shinji instead of just letting Negacion beam him up, doesn't it? Heh…

Many thanks to those who reviewed! Hope everyone had a nice New Year!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own a little stuffed white dog I named Bawa-bawa.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

(Genji – Age sixteen)

_He sat on the grass, panting as he eyed the blade that was pointed at his throat, stubbornly refusing to look up into the eyes of the victor. It seemed no matter how many times they did this, it never failed to end the same way. With an agitated frown, Genji batted the offending blade away with his own. "Damn it! Why can't I ever win against you?!!"_

_Ukita sheathed his sword, completely unaffected by the outburst. "Your movements are unnecessarily exaggerated, losing efficiency. You place too much focus on your attacks and not enough on defense. Once you begin to lose, you let your emotions cloud your judgment. Shall I continue?"_

_Genji narrowed his eyes, fixing the other warrior with a death glare. "Shut up, smart ass."_

"_You asked," was the smooth and seemingly apathetic reply._

_Akari chuckled from the edge of the veranda where she sat, the sole spectator. "I don't know why you're throwing such a tantrum. You're better than everyone __**else**__ around here."_

_Genji forced himself to rein in his frustrations and calm down. Then he shook his head and sighed mockingly. "Girls…you just don't understand these things… AND IT AIN'T A TANTRUM!!"_

"_Merely a warrior's whine," Ukita supplied._

_Genji glared once again…perhaps with a bit more venom in his eyes. "One of these days, Ukita…I'll wipe that smug look off your face."_

_The princess laughed with mirth as she kicked her dangling legs back and forth. Then she perked up as she remembered something and jumped off the veranda to join the boys. "Oh! Guess what? The head chef is going to let me use the kitchen again today!"_

_Genji's eyes widened as his face began to pale._

"_I think I'll make you some seaweed tuna dango for dessert!" she continued happily. "I know the orange miso soup was a miss last time…" She held up a finger with a thoughtful frown._

_Genji turned away as an involuntary nauseous feeling took over. "It wasn't just the soup…" he mumbled under his breath._

"…_but I have a good feeling this one will be a hit!" She flashed them a bright and confident smile._

"_My apologies, Hime," Ukita said with a slight bow of his head, "but Genji and I will be heading out to the hill for the rest of the day to continue with our training. He obviously requires it." He eyed the boy who was still sitting on the ground._

_Genji responded to the insult with yet another glare and a grumble._

"_Aww…" Akari whined with a pout. "But it will be a while before they will let me cook again!"_

_Ukita gave her a small smile. "I will bring you back a gift from the town as an apology."_

_She continued to pout but ultimately sighed in defeat. "Oh, all right." She turned around and gloomily walked off, dragging her feet as she mumbled to herself. "What is it with men and their stupid training?"_

_After she disappeared, Ukita turned to Genji. "Let's head into town for some food."_

_Genji quirked a brow in query. "I thought you said we were going to the hill for training."_

"_You haven't had enough, yet?"_

"_But…" Since Ukita said everything with such a straight face, it took Genji a minute to figure him out. When he did, he laughed. "I thought you did __**everything**__ Akari wanted," he commented with a sly grin._

"_As much as I would like to, I'm afraid my stomach feels differently on the matter," Ukita replied, unperturbed._

_Genji chuckled, amused that his friend would pull something like this. "Ya know, we can't use training on the hill as an excuse forever."_

"_We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Ukita replied as he began to walk away. "In the meantime, are you coming? Or would you rather stay for seaweed tuna dango?"_

_Jumping back to his feet immediately, Genji caught up with the other boy, slapping him on the shoulder. "Ukita, my stomach thanks ya. Sake's on me tonight!"_

* * *

Grimmjow sauntered down the halls with his hands in his pockets, noting that the memories were beginning to come back during the day now and not just in sleep. In addition, it would also seem that they were returning without the need for more of Orihime's healings, which he was glad for.

He was getting rather tired of lopping his arm off. As cool and fearless as it might have made him look, it still hurt like hell and was definitely _not_ an activity on his list of favorite things to do.

* * *

Orihime sat on her couch as her eyes wandered around her sparsely furnished room. When her eyes drifted to the little window, she held them there. She noted that she hadn't been spending as much time staring out the window these days, and when she did, it wasn't accompanied by that desperate feeling in her gut.

She supposed it had a lot to do with the fact that she was no longer caged within her room on a constant basis. True to his words, Ulquiorra had come everyday to escort her to someplace or another. Even now, she was sitting there patiently awaiting his arrival. She discovered, and was not surprised, that he was a very punctual person. He came at about the same time everyday to bring her lunch and dinner. Right in the middle of those two time slots would be when he'd show up to let her out of her room, and that time was soon approaching.

Generally, they would go to the desert just outside Las Noches. A desert was a desert, and it was the same anywhere, so it mattered little to her how far away they went or what part of the desert they went to. Once or twice they had just walked around within the castle instead, and it wasn't until then that Orihime realized just how incredibly big the place was! She had wanted Ulquiorra to take her to the casino in Las Noches. Since Hueco Mundo was sort of like an underworld to her, and she always associated such places with gambling, she was sure there'd be a casino here somewhere. However, after much explaining on her part and moments of condescending blank stares on his, she had come to the disappointing conclusion that there was no casino and her original belief of 'there is nothing to do around here' still held true.

In any case, she wasn't getting anywhere close to her original goal of being able to move around freely in Las Noches. Nevertheless, at least for her own sanity, she got to leave her room.

Orihime found that the fourth Espada's quiet company really wasn't so bad. It was actually sort of comfortable in a way. Perhaps she was getting used to him? She gave the melancholic arrancar some thought. He did seem nicer somehow. He didn't seem to mind her random and constantly roaming topics of discussion…although he didn't really participate in them either. But in general, he seemed more responsive and less guarded around her. The 'devote to Aizen-sama' brainwashing speeches were gone. Thank goodness for that, if nothing else. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly had changed?

When the door to her room opened, Orihime perked up. However, the one who walked in was not the one she had been expecting. In fact, she had no idea who this person was.

She got to her feet, wondering what this stranger might want with her. At first glance, he looked like someone who was going to a costume party dressed as…a spoon. She would have spent a few more seconds fantasizing about that if it weren't for the expression he was wearing on his face. He was definitely leering. The way his eyes scanned over her with an excessively toothy grin made her self-conscious, wanting to cover herself up or hide behind something.

"Hello there…Pet-sama," he practically purred. "Nice to finally make your acquaintance. The name's Nnoitora."

Pet-sama?! Did he just call her _Pet-sama_?! Suddenly, Ulquiorra's "woman" and Grimmjow's "oi" sounded like such great nicknames…

Nnoitora came closer, the creepy grin never leaving his face.

Instinctively, Orihime backed away until her back hit the wall. She gulped. This Nnoitora may not have a hook for a hand, but the eye patch alone was enough to give her a bad vibe. Or perhaps it was just the way he looked at her with his good eye. She stood glued to the wall as he came close and loomed over her with his height.

"It really is unfair that Ulquiorra gets you all to himself," he commented casually as he picked up a lock of her hair, letting it slide through his fingers. "It's all wasted on him anyway."

"What…do you want?" she asked quietly, silently berating herself for the shakiness in her voice.

He shrugged. "I thought you might be bored. If Ulquiorra was the only person _I_ ever saw, it sure as hell would make _me_ bored."

"Th…thank you for your concern, but…I'm fine." _Maybe he'll go away… Please go away please go away please go away…_

To that, Nnoitora only grinned wider. "You _should_ thank me. What did you have in mind?"

"Eh?"

"How were you thinking of thanking me?" He raised a suggestive brow.

"Um…I…" She froze. Never anticipating that he would twist her words like that, she had no idea how to respond.

He shrugged again. "Well…I can think of many ways…" he said as he leaned closer.

Orihime's eyes widened, and she reflexively placed both palms on his chest in attempt to push him away.

Nnoitora didn't even budge. He caught both of her wrists and looked at her with amusement. "Struggling, huh? Nice touch. I like that." Then with one hand locking both of her wrists against the wall above her head, he roughly claimed her lips with his while his other hand simply…roamed.

Orihime was frightened as she struggled with futility against his strength. She had never even been kissed before, let alone in this manner. Squeezing her eyes shut, she began to cry, well aware that there was much more to lose here than just her first kiss.

Then suddenly, all traces of Nnoitora's presence disappeared.

Her eyes flew open, her heart still pounding in her ears as she took deep shuddering breaths. A sense of relief washed over her when she saw Ulquiorra standing before her. But then her breath caught in her throat, and she felt a momentary chill of fear when she looked at his eyes. She had never seen that look in his eyes before. The rest of his features may appear calm, but she could tell from those intense green orbs that he was anything but. The usual passive and indifferent eyes were gone. He was livid.

The only thing that eased her was the knowledge that his anger wasn't directed towards her. In fact, he wasn't even looking at her. He stood with one arm stretched out to the side with his palm open, and he was looking in that direction as well.

Following his line of sight, Orihime found Nnoitora slumped on the floor against the wall at that end of the room. There was a nice indentation on the wall, decorated with cracks, marking the spot where his head had apparently hit the wall before he slipped to the floor when Ulquiorra had thrown him off to the side.

Needless to say, Nnoitora was quite pissed as he picked himself up off the floor and began to brush dirt off his clothes. "What the hell, Ulquiorra?! I wasn't going to kill her! I was just—"

In a flash, Ulquiorra disappeared and materialized right in front of Nnoitora, ramming the taller Espada against the wall with a firm grip around his throat, effectively closing off his windpipe.

"Ok, I…get it!" Nnoitora managed to choke out as he tried to pry the death grip from his neck. "I get it!"

After another drawn out moment, Ulquiorra dropped him.

Nnoitora coughed as he massaged his throat with one hand, glaring grudgingly at the Espada who held but one rank higher than himself. After throwing one last look at Orihime, he left the room, mumbling a long string of curses as he went.

Ulquiorra turned his attention back to the girl who by now had slid down to the floor and was sitting against the wall with her forehead on her knees and her arms wrapped around herself, shedding silent tears. From time to time, she would swipe the back of her hands over her lips in attempt to rid them of the memory of Nnoitora's touch and wipe away what had just occurred.

Ulquiorra said nothing. Giving comfort was not something he was accustomed to. As long as she was unharmed, he should be satisfied. He turned to go.

"Wait!"

He stopped.

"Can I come with you?" she asked meekly, still huddled on the floor. "Please?"

He contemplated her request for a moment. It would be rather impractical and inconvenient if she were to follow him wherever he went. But truth be told, he didn't really think she would be safe on her own anymore. "Would it be sufficient if I stayed?"

Orihime looked up at the unexpected offer then nodded almost mechanically.

He closed the door and found a chair to settle into.

She made no move to relocate herself, remaining a ball on the floor. "Thank you," she said quietly, tiredly. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Aizen-sama wants you unharmed," he replied. "I am merely following orders."

She gave a humorless laugh. "Yes…of course."

He wasn't sure what to make of that reaction and response. At the same time, did his statement sound just a little like an excuse even to himself?

"So…can your job also include putting a lock on my door?" Orihime couldn't believe she was saying this, but if she can't go out while anyone who felt like it could just come right in, then she wasn't really all that safe from the hostility he had mentioned to her before.

He considered her briefly before looking away. "I will see what I can do."

He didn't want to say it, but the truth was if someone really wanted to come in, a lock wasn't going to stop him or her. The things that really kept others at bay were himself and the fear of Aizen-sama. But apparently, Nnoitora was the stupid type.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter. Like I said before, it's the natural break. But please don't tell me the Nnoitora encounter was too short. I didn't really want to play the sexual harassment card. It wigs me out writing it. LOL! But I needed something/someone to trigger instinctual and extreme rage in Ulquiorra. After looking at all my not-very-many options, good ol' Nnoitora just stood out above the rest, practically waving his arms begging to fulfill that role. I couldn't deny the guy.

Oh, and I'm spelling his name Nnoitora. I got so used to "tora" that when Nnoitra was revealed it just looks really weird to me. At least I gave him the two n's. It's a compromise. Haha!

Dango are dumplings made with rice flour usually served on a skewer. They're generally sweet, though I think some are salty. Some have filling inside like red bean paste, others might be served with syrup on top. I don't claim to know much about it, but seaweed tuna dango sounds kinda nasty to me, so I'm thinking…hoping…it doesn't exist. I will have a good laugh if I find out that it does. LOL!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own a Chain of Fate wallet chain…which is really cool looking but kinda bulky to actually use…

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

(Genji – Age Seventeen)

_He nearly stumbled over his own legs as the excited girl dragged him down the hall by his hand. "Where the heck are we going, Akari?!!" Genji grumbled._

_She turned her head and placed a finger to her smiling lips. "Shh! Just come!"_

_They came to a stop just outside her father's study. Akari got down on her knees and, after licking her finger, she used it to poke a little peephole through the shoji screen._

_Genji quirked a skeptical brow but followed her example anyway. Leaning over her, he poked himself a peephole above hers and settled in to watch and listen to whatever was going on in that room._

"…_and you have consistently led our men to victory. That is quite an accomplishment for someone your age," Hayashi said from his seat at his desk._

_Ukita bowed respectfully to his lord. "Thank you, Hayashi-sama."_

_Hayashi nodded approvingly. "You are truly your father's son. Brave, intelligent, and loyal. A true warrior." He stroked his beard, eyes drifting out to the gardens as he thought. "If Kimura had not taken the arrow that was meant for me, I would not be here today," he said wistfully. "I will never be able to truly repay him, but…I suppose I can try." He fixed his eyes on the boy standing before him. "Ukita, I would like to offer you Akari's hand in marriage."_

_Ukita's head snapped up in utmost shock._

_The older man nearly laughed at the surprise on the boy's usually calm and collected features. "Akari is my one and only beloved daughter, and I want her to be happy. Not to mention, with her great healing abilities, I do not wish to marry her off to a lord of a different land if I do not have to. With that said…what is your answer?"_

_Ukita was still somewhat dumbfounded. He never thought it would be possible, never even dared to dream of it._

_Hayashi raised a brow, almost teasingly. "Do you not want my daughter?"_

"_Yes!" the boy replied hastily. "I mean, no!…I mean…"He took a steadying breath then dropped to one knee. "I am truly honored, Hayashi-sama."_

_Hayashi shook his head and was unable to hold his laughter in that time, finding it most amusing to see Ukita flustered. "Very well. I have but one condition. It is the same as before. I am sure you remember?"_

"_Yes, my lord," Ukita replied, sounding much more like himself again, his eyes still trained on the floor. "Incompetence is sin. I will strive to be nothing but the best."_

"_I am confident you will not disappoint me," Hayashi said with a regal nod. "It is still too early, of course. Akari is still young, but an engagement would be a fine idea." He smiled to himself, satisfied with his decision._

_Out in the hallway, the now ecstatic princess whirled around, throwing her arms up around Genji's neck._

_Caught off guard by her sudden embrace while still in leaning position, Genji had to widen his stance and hold her with both arms around her waist in order to keep his balance and prevent the both of them from toppling over. Just falling onto the wood floor was one thing, but breaking the shoji screen and tumbling into the study would be an entirely different story…one he would very much like to avoid. "Akari, let go!" he whispered with strain._

_From within the room, Hayashi's voice could be heard again. "So, I take it you have no objections…" The shoji screen slid open and the lord of the land looked upon his daughter. "…Akari Hime?"_

_Both Genji and Akari turned to him in a moment of wide-eyed panic for getting caught eavesdropping… in a less than proper position, no less. They quickly broke away._

"_Crap!" Genji mumbled under his breath as he got down on one knee, head bowing._

_Akari on the other hand stood up, a smile gracing her lips as she glanced over at Ukita with a light blush. Then she looked away and shook her head shyly in response to her father's question._

_Hayashi nodded. "Mm…very well." With a hearty laugh, he walked out of the study, leaving the children to themselves._

_Genji breathed a sigh of relief then looked over at Ukita and smirked at the look on the other boy's face. In all the years he had known Ukita, Genji had never seen him this happy._

* * *

Orihime stood beside the door with her back against the wall. From time to time, she would look over her shoulder at the wall with downcast eyes.

She sighed, turning her head up to stare at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking about what Ulquiorra did the other day when he came to her rescue. That furious look in his eyes had been burned into her memory. Though he would deny it, it was quickly becoming clear to her that he truly was concerned for her well being. No amount of sense of duty to Aizen could account for that kind of reaction. Not even chivalry could explain that level of intensity. Those emotions seemed…too personal.

When he had stayed with her afterwards, they didn't really speak to each other, but that was fine. The fact that she wasn't alone had been enough. Idly, she wondered when it was that she began to feel safe with him? When did she begin to think that his presence brought her some comfort in this bleak place?

The way he looked at her that night had reminded her of something. When she had healed Rukia's near fatal wounds after the arrancar's attack in the living world, Ichigo had been beside them the entire time, watching Rukia with worried eyes. Though the emotions were not immediately apparent on Ulquiorra's features, his gaze as he looked upon her curled up form on the floor had that same sense of worry about it. Eventually, she wore herself out and fell asleep in that same sitting position. When she woke, she was lying on her white couch, and he was gone.

Orihime wasn't sure how she should feel about it. Nobody had ever paid attention to her in this way before. Nobody had ever exhibited this sort of protectiveness. It was different from the way Tatsuki protected her. It was something she had wanted almost desperately from Ichigo. To find it in someone who was supposed to be an enemy…it was confusing.

She glanced over her shoulder at the wall once more. Even now, she knew Ulquiorra was standing on the other side of this wall, watching over her. She had come to know him well enough to recognize his reiatsu.

Ever since the incident with Nnoitora, the fourth Espada had taken to standing guard outside her door. However, while he may be physically close by, he had somehow distanced himself again, reducing his contact with her to only what was necessary. He still came to bring her food and escort her to a place of her choosing each day, but he would barely speak and he would avoid her eyes as much as possible. It was as though he wanted to be protective and stay away at the same time. She couldn't figure him out.

Then again, this could all just be in her head. Perhaps she was simply overanalyzing everything due to extreme boredom, or she was having a mental breakdown from anxiety. There was only one way to confirm her sanity…or the lack thereof. Sighing, Orihime turned around to face the wall, her head hanging. "Ulquiorra? I know you're there. Would you come in?"

She waited. No response. "Please?"

Still nothing. Perhaps he couldn't hear her. Should she try again? Maybe he was ignoring her, and she was just wasting her breath.

To her surprise, the door opened and he stepped in, looking at her with those seemingly impassive eyes.

Suddenly, Orihime felt self-conscious. "I just…thought that since you were here anyway," she began, looking off to the side, "…you might as well come in and have a seat instead of just standing out there."

"I am merely—"

"Yes, I know," she cut in with a small sigh. "You're only following orders."

At her response, Ulquiorra made a mental note to stop saying that. It was beginning to sound repetitive and unconvincing even to himself, despite it being the only shred of logic, no matter how weak, that he could hold on to.

"But…," Orihime continued, bringing him out of his thoughts, "you can probably follow orders on _this_ side of the wall, too, right?"

Internally, Ulquiorra was thinking…'not as well.' He could never seem to follow orders exactly wherever she was concerned, though that was information he was not going to divulge. Truth was, his unexpected reaction to Nnoitora that day had startled him. It was…irrational. It was the reason why he had been trying to keep his distance, even though he wanted to remain close. She made him irrational. "Is there something you need?" he asked with practiced apathy.

She fidgeted. "No…I just thought that if we kept each other company, it won't be as boring…or lonely."

This…wasn't good. "Are you sure that is wise? You seem to be forgetting that I was the one who brought you here against your will."

No, she didn't forget, but she didn't forget all the other things either. Orihime shrugged. "Yeah. But still…I don't think you'll try to hurt me."

That wasn't the response he was hoping for. "You shouldn't be so trusting," he said as he closed the distance between them, looking down at her with every intention to intimidate. "Perhaps you should know that I had made a suggestion to Aizen-sama to have you disposed of."

Orihime gulped. They were practically standing toe to toe. He was so close she could feel his breath on her skin when he spoke. As they stood with their eyes locked, she knew he wasn't lying. Ulquiorra never lied to her. He may not tell her everything, but whenever he did speak his words were honest and to the point, always the poignant truth. "Why?" Though her voice was quiet, it was by no means weak or wavering. In fact, it actually carried a slight tinge of challenge.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Tactical advantage."

She followed his example. "That's it?"

"That is reason enough."

"Then it was a decision based only on logic."

"Should that matter?"

"Yes."

"Explain."

"It means it's not necessarily something you want personally."

"You don't know that it is not."

"No…no, I don't." She lowered her head and closed her eyes. "_Is_ it what you want?"

He faltered. He so very much wanted to say yes, but he couldn't. It was frustrating. "Why does everything cease to make sense around you?" he asked in a quiet voice, more a verbalized thought than a question directed at her.

She looked back up at him then and, once again very aware of their close proximity, took a step back and turned away. "Ah….heheh…I think I know the feeling…" She scratched her temple with a finger, slightly embarrassed. "I was just thinking the same about you, and it was making my head hurt," she explained with a light laugh. "So…for now…can we just _not_ think about it?" She glanced meekly back at him.

Ulquiorra, though surprised by her revelation, wasn't ready to simply agree with her just yet. "Why would you want me here?" It was an honest question. He couldn't understand.

Orihime gave it a moment's consideration. Why _was_ she doing this? Why was she trying to stop him from drawing the line? Things would be simpler and clearer if they went back to just being enemies. Captor and captive. She could go back to concentrating on how to contribute to the war and escape. But no matter how much that made sense to her, there was something here she couldn't seem to just let go. "I'm not sure," she finally confessed. "Is that bad?"

"Merely pointless…and foolish."

She noted that there wasn't much bite in his tone and, by Ulquiorra standards, his response might have even sounded a tad bit disappointed. Did he _want_ her to give a reason? Then it hit her: he needed a reason. Of course! He was Ulquiorra. Everything had to have a reason. She scoured her brain for an impromptu reason. "Well…if you're here, then…you'll be able to monitor what I'm doing! Yeah, and…if someone comes in, say from that window," she said as she turned to point to the window. She paused. "…that teeny tiny window…" _Ok, that's a bad example…_ "Um…well, someone could break through the wall! Yeah!" she amended as she whirled back to face him, holding up a finger, trying to look convincing. "If that happens, you'll just be _that_ much closer to the action!"

He blinked slowly, his poker face still firmly in place. Though, had Orihime been paying closer attention, she might have caught the glint of amusement in his eyes. "Is that the best you can come up with?"

"Of course not!" she said with slightly creased brows. "Um…lizards! I've been seeing these weird hollow lizards crawling in every now and then. They kind of creep me out. If you're here…" She frowned, trying to figure out where she was going with this. "…with your reiatsu…" She was becoming more uncertain by the second. "…maybe they'll…stay away?" She punctuated with a wince as she gave herself a mental slap. He definitely wasn't going to buy this.

Ulquiorra suppressed a sigh. Had he, the fourth strongest warrior in Aizen-sama's army, been reduced to a walking pesticide now? It was obvious the woman was clutching at straws, though he would be lying if he said he didn't find her responses, as well as the effort she was putting into it, somewhat intriguing. She had these sudden bursts of exuberance that were quirky and strange. Normally he would find such behavior annoying, but somehow her antics had a déjà vu quality to it that put him at ease.

He supposed that, though her logic was weak, she had a point…at least in the first reason she provided. Then again, maybe he was just trying to find a way to rationalize his reasons for staying so he could be close to her and relish in the feeling of unexplainable soothing familiarity. Weak logic…it seemed he had been depending on that quite a bit as of late.

"Fine," he finally said with an inward sigh. "However, know that your second reason would not have been valid even if you were a child."

Orihime pouted with an indignant frown. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Perhaps." He walked past her and settled into a chair facing the white couch.

Orihime smiled at his response and breathed a sigh of relief. She could fell the change in him. The tension in the air had dissipated. As she took a seat on her couch, she studied her guard/enemy/protector. _Maybe I can try asking him now…_ She fidgeted with her fingers again. "Ulquiorra…there's something…I've been wanting to ask you…"

The fourth Espada looked back at her, stoic as usual, hoping it wasn't going to be a question about why he did any of the things he did recently. He didn't even have an answer for himself, let alone for her.

She looked away and took a deep breath. When she was mentally prepared, she looked back at him. "Ulquiorra…how do you wash your hair?"

He blinked once then very uncharacteristically said, "…what?"

* * *

Out in the halls, a rather agitated Nnoitora was lurking about. That damned Ulquiorra had been around the girl almost twenty-four seven. He couldn't even get near her. It wasn't that she was oh-so-great or anything, but he wouldn't give up on something _that_ easily once he had set his sights on it. It was a matter of principle. Besides, they were in a period of waiting and he had nothing better to do. This newfound interest should occupy some of his time at least.

Then from out of the shadows a certain pink-haired Espada appeared beside him. "Having some girl trouble?" he asked with a snicker.

Nnoitora glared. "What do you want, Szayel?"

Szayel Aporro shrugged, nonchalant. "Just thought maybe I could lend a hand."

"Really?" the fifth Espada drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm. "And why the hell would you do that?"

The eighth Espada only smirked as he folded his arms, leaning leisurely against the wall. "I have an interest in the girl myself…though, not for the same reasons you have." If he could study Orihime, he was confident that he would be able to duplicate her powers. Then Aizen will have no need for her anymore while, at the same time, his own position should elevate. Szayel grinned at the thought as he eyed his would be partner in crime. "Five is no match for four. But with five and eight…the tables will surely turn. What do you say?"

A grin spread across Nnoitora's face. Perhaps Szayel's idea could prove to be entertaining after all. "Fine. You're on."

"Excellent," Szayel said as he readjusted the frames on the bridge of his nose. "And when we get the girl, you can have her after me."

In the blink of an eye, Nnoitora had Szayel trapped against the wall within the arc of his crescent shaped blade. "You see this?" he asked as he stuck his tongue out, revealing the number five that was tattooed on it. "This says that _I_ get her first. Besides, there ain't gonna be anything left after you're through with her."

"Well, _that_, at least, is true enough," the eighth Espada replied with a sly smirk, not the least bit intimidated by Nnoitora's threat. "Fine. You have a deal."

* * *

"Are you clear on what it is you need to do, then?" Aizen inquired from his throne.

"Yes, Aizen-sama, I will leave as soon as possible," Ulquiorra replied. With a dutiful bow, he took his leave. He had just been assigned another mission to the living world. That was all fine and good, except now he had to figure out what to do about Orihime while he was away. There wasn't anyone else he could trust with her.

Well…that wasn't entirely true. Perhaps there was one person. Someone who had come in contact with her multiple times and, surprisingly, had not left her with any physical or mental scars. Someone she had actually mentioned on more than one occasion.

Ulquiorra sighed inwardly, not liking his one and only option, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

Once the fourth Espada made his exit, Ichimaru Gin appeared from the shadows with a staged sigh. "Why do you insist on making that poor boy do everything for you? Go check out Kurosaki Ichigo…bring back the girl…watch over the girl… It ain't really fair, is it?"

Aizen grinned as he rested an elbow on the armrest, chin in hand. "He _is_ the most levelheaded and loyal one of them all. I can trust him to get things done efficiently."

"Trust, huh?" Gin asked with amusement in his voice. "There's a word I rarely hear you use."

"Those who are blinded by loyalty are less likely to think for themselves," Aizen explained smoothly.

Gin shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. It hasn't even been that long, and you've already found yourself a replacement for Hinamori." He turned to look at the door where Ulquiorra had walked out from. "I wonder which of the two I should feel more sorry for?"

To that, Aizen only smiled but made no reply.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the reviews people! Yay for stimulation!

Ok. Here's a little info on the names Hayashi and Kimura. Hayashi is a common family name. I liked it because it means "forest". I thought it was suitable for a ruler/lord type character. So, since the lord is a forest, I wanted his warrior to be a tree. The "Ki" of Kimura means "tree", and "mura" means "village." Since both are family names then that means Ukita and Akari's full names are Kimura Ukita and Hayashi Akari. Genji doesn't have a family name. The story won't specifically explain the reason, but you might get an understanding as to why that is in later chapters. If I remember, I'll touch on it in the notes when we get there.

The Ulqui/Hime scene in this chapter was a bit of a headache for me to work out. I revised it _so many times_. Please let me know what you think of the end product. "How do you wash your hair?" That's my burning question for Ulqui. Haha!

I swear I already had it worked out for Szayel and Nnoitora to team up before Kubo released the chapter about them working together to get rid of Nel. My first reaction to that chapter was, Noooo!!!! He's using my idea!! But then I thought, eh, guess that just means I got it pretty close to canon. LOL!

Grimm's taking a break this chapter, but he'll be back in the next!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kube Tite. I own every volume of the manga available to date.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

(Genji – Age eighteen)

_Ukita stepped out into the garden, Genji following closely behind. They found Akari out there sitting on a bench. Though she had her embroidery in one hand and a threaded needle in the other, her hands were not moving. Rather, she was simply staring blankly at a nearby flowerbed, appearing to be lost in thought._

_Ukita approached but waited for her to take notice of their presence before speaking. "We will take our leave now, Hime."_

_The princess set her sewing materials down and stood to meet him. "All right," she said, sounding downcast as she laid a hand on his arm. "Be safe."_

_Ukita clasped his hand over hers. "We should be back in no more than ten days' time."_

_She nodded mutely, not meeting his eyes. However, when he made a move to leave, she tightened her grip on his arm._

_He gave her a slightly questioning look._

_When she looked up at him again, her face had brightened with a beaming smile. "Ukita…we won't be together for a while, but…I'll be thinking of you every single day! And I'll be waiting for the day when we will see each other again. I will do that. I promise!" She placed a hand over her heart to emphasize her sincerity. "So, promise me…Ukita…" She lowered her head, speaking more softly now. "No matter where or when…you will always find your way back to me."_

_Ukita blinked, then blinked again before curling his lips up into a small smile at her silly request. "Of course. That goes without saying."_

_Akari perked up. "Really? Even…even in the next lifetime?"_

_A slight frown of confusion adorned his features as he saw how serious she seemed about it. "And every one after that," he assured, brushing the back of his fingers lightly over her cheek. "That is a promise."_

_She caught his hand with both of hers before he could move it away, leaning her cheek into his palm as she closed her eyes with a smile of contentment. "Every lifetime…"_

_From right beside the pair, Genji cleared his throat. "Ya know…this is the kinda crap you should never do in front of me again…EVER! In this lifetime OR the next, ya hear?!"_

_Akari jumped, startled. "But, Gen-chan! You have to promise, too!"_

_Genji rolled his eyes, about to pull his hair out. "For the love of…! We're going for ten __**days**__! Not ten __**years**__!" he yelled. "If you're going to get all mushy about it, you shouldn't have made us go! It was __**your**__ stupid idea in the first place! I mean, why the heck are __**we**__ delivering some supposedly sacred scroll to some priestess in some temple I've never even heard of before?!"_

_Akari turned her head to the side with a defiant pout. "It's important. I need to make sure it gets there." Then she turned back to the disgruntled warrior. "Never mind that. Just promise, Gen-chan!"_

_Said disgruntled warrior had her cheek pinched between his fingers in no time. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?!"_

"_Ow, ow, ow!!"_

_At this point, Ukita stepped in, unsheathing his sword to press it against Genji's throat, making him freeze. "Stop fooling around, Genji. Let's go." After taking one last glance at Akari, he turned to go._

_Genji followed. As he got close to the edge of the garden, he paused and turned back around, catching the girl's dispirited expression. "Oi, Akari."_

_She looked up at the sound of her name._

_He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort. "…I'll see ya soon," he finally managed to say, though somewhat reluctantly._

_Akari gave a soft smile as she waved a hand in farewell, watching as they disappear from her sight._

* * *

Grimmjow stood on top of Las Noches, staring out at the barren wasteland as he thought. _We never saw her again…and we didn't live much longer ourselves…_

Sorting through all his recently regained memories, Grimmjow finally realized why he was always so hung up on debts. When he was alive, he had practically incurred a lifetime's worth of debts to Ukita. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times Ukita had saved him. The other boy had been looking out for him since the day they met, and it had agitated him to no end that he never had a chance to repay any of it, to even it out. It was the thing he wasn't able to let go of.

His scowl deepened at the thought. That was something he was going to have to fix.

Just then, the very person he was thinking about called out his name from behind. "Grimmjow."

The blue haired Espada turned around, careful to keep his surprise concealed. It was unusual for Ulquiorra to come looking for him.

"Aizen-sama has given me an assignment," the fourth Espada began. "I need you to watch over the woman while I'm away."

After getting over his initial shock, Grimmjow's face broke into a mocking grin. He simply couldn't resist. "Wait, what was that? Weren't _you_ the one who kept telling me to stay the hell away from her?"

If Ulquiorra was agitated, it didn't show. "Nnoitora has taken an interest."

Grimmjow's grin faltered a bit at that piece of information before it was replaced by a smirk. "So what? Does that worry you?"

"That is of no importance," Ulquiorra replied, maintaining his usual indifference. "Just keep an eye on her." Then he left before Grimmjow could make another smart and ultimately pointless remark.

The sexta Espada raked a hand through his hair as he heaved a sigh. At least Ulquiorra didn't _deny_ that he was worried.

* * *

Orihime was standing by the door with her back against the wall again, this time noting that Ulquiorra was not there. She wondered where he went? Did his absence mean that something big was happening? It was still too early for the arrancar to be mobilizing…wasn't it? 

She took a deep breath to keep her anxiety at bay as she wondered how things would turn out in the end. When it was time for war and the two sides clashed, how would it change things between Ulquiorra and herself? How would it change the feelings that were beginning to take root inside of her?

Then the door swung open and Grimmjow stepped in. "Oi," he said in way of greeting, sounding more bored than anything else.

"Grimmjow!" she exclaimed with surprise. She was actually happy to see him. It _had_ been a while since last they met. Then she remembered what happened that last time and became unsure as to whether or not it was a good idea for him to be here. The last thing she wanted was for the only two people she could actually talk to in this place to Cero each other to death. "Um…Ulquiorra…"

"He told me to come," Grimmjow said dryly.

"Eh?!"

He sauntered in and sat down on the white couch, lounging comfortably. "He's busy, so I'm taking over for now."

"Oh…" She nodded in enlightenment. Then she went over to join him on the couch. "Um…so, how's the memory thing coming? Do you need another healing?" She blinked and frowned slightly. Did she just suggest another round of morbid cut and paste?

He tilted his head back against the cushion and looked up at the ceiling. "Nope. It's all here now," he said as he tapped a finger to his temple.

She gasped. "You remembered everything?!"

"Yup."

"That's so great!" She really was happy for him. But more than that, she really wanted to know what he remembered since she found out that she had a part in it somewhere. How often did people get a chance to learn about what they were like in a previous life from someone who had lived it with them? This was exciting stuff! However, she was afraid to ask since he had always been reluctant to tell her anything before.

While Orihime was having an internal debate with herself, Grimmjow pondered on her words. Was it really so great? There was something about his previous 'kill or be killed' lifestyle, striving to stand alone above everyone else without giving a damn about anyone that was so simple and appealing. Yet, if someone were to tell him that they could take away his memories again…he wasn't sure he'd want to give it up either.

After mulling it over for a while, Grimmjow came to a decision as he rolled his head over to face her. "I'll tell ya."

Orihime perked up. "Really?!"

He rolled his head back over to face forward. "I'll tell you about you…me…and Ulquiorra."

She raised her brows. "…Ulquiorra?"

He sighed. Storytelling just…wasn't his thing. "We lived during feudal times," he began without much enthusiasm. "The three of us pretty much grew up together. Ulquiorra was the orphaned son of some big shot samurai. I was a stray he picked up off the streets. And you were the princess of the castle where we lived."

"Eh?! I was a princess?!!"

"Yeah. And you had healing powers."

"Really?! That's amazing!"

Grimmjow's eyebrows twitched as he suppressed a grumble. "You can do that now!"

Orihime leaned away from his sudden flaring temper. Then she scratched the tip of her nose with a finger when his words registered. "Oh, right…eheheh…"

"Anyway," he continued, "Akari Hime was known in all the lands as the Princess of Light. You were really something."

She blushed lightly. "Really?"

"Yup. Everybody wanted to kill you," he deadpanned.

"What?!"

The sexta Espada shrugged. "What did you expect? With your powers, as long as you were there our army would never fall. That made you prime target."

Orihime was too shocked to speak.

He spared her a sideward glance before continuing. "Ulquiorra and I were servants when we were kids, but we picked up the sword pretty early on. Eventually, we became your personal guards."

"Sounds like we spent a lot of time together," she said with a smile.

Grimmjow sighed. _When were we ever NOT together?_ "Guess you could say that."

"Were we good friends?"

Good friends? Akari and Ukita were practically his only family. "Yeah…I guess we were." He paused briefly. "Oh, and the two of you were lovers," he added nonchalantly as an afterthought.

"EH?!!" Her face turned beet-red in an instant. "Are you…are you sure?!"

"Yes…Positive," he affirmed dryly. "I would have liked it better if you two weren't so damn obvious. Namely you."

That only made her blush a darker shade of red as she looked away.

"If ya don't believe me, just look at him now. That bastard doesn't remember a damn thing, but he can't fight his instincts to protect you and shit." He snickered. "It's actually been pretty damn funny to watch. He's so confused he can't tell his head from his rear."

Orihime recalled her conversation with Ulquiorra the other night and the slight confrontation they'd had. "Ah, yes…he had indicated as much…"

Things were beginning to make more sense to her now in regards to Ulquiorra's behavior. Despite his insistence on how he was only acting under orders, her instincts about him had been right. He really did care about her, even if he may not be aware of it himself, and she noted how that thought made her happy and relieved somehow.

Orihime smiled as she turned back to Grimmjow. "So, what was our childhood like? I want to know everything!"

Grimmjow looked at her as a grin spread across his face.

* * *

Ulquiorra had spent practically an entire day hidden within the foliage of a tree. He knew that surveillance was, by definition, an uneventful job. However, he never expected it to be quite this uneventful when the one he was observing was none other than Urahara Kisuke. Ulquiorra had to question whether this man really was the unrivaled scientific genius that he was supposed to be. 

The exiled shinigami had done nothing more than lounge around in a chair outside his shop the entire day. He hardly ever went indoors. When he did, it was only for a brief period of time. He didn't go anywhere, which was why Ulquiorra never left his tree. The most exciting thing he did all day was play ball with the two children that worked at his shop for a short span of time during the afternoon. Even now, late into the evening, the man was still just sitting in his chair, fanning himself as he yawned lazily.

Deciding that he had seen enough, the fourth Espada withdrew, disappearing as quietly as when he had appeared.

Shortly afterwards, a black cat jumped off a nearby roof to meet up with the lounging shop owner. "Your little friend's gone," Yoruichi said as she sat on the ground and licked her paw.

"Thank the stars!" Urahara exclaimed as he slapped his fan shut in his palm, sitting up straighter. "I was getting a bit tired of doing nothing."

"You're always doing nothing," she replied offhandedly.

Urahara faked a look of indignation. "Now, now, Yoruichi," he shook his head with a sigh. "You just don't appreciate how hard I really work." He got up on his feet. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be getting back to my _very_ serious work now," he announced before heading back into the shop.

To that, Yoruichi could only roll her eyes.

Hidden within the walls of the old and almost rundown looking shop, aside from the unbelievably large underground training room, there was also an extremely high-tech, albeit much smaller, laboratory. In contrast to the openness of the training room, the lab was cozy and crowded with an almost haphazard look to it, filled to the brim with all kinds of innovative gadgets that had never been seen by anyone in the world of the living or the dead.

Urahara entered his lab and went over to the worktable, turning on the desk lamp. Rummaging through the drawers, he pulled out a small black rectangular object that resembled a television remote control in appearance. When he pushed a button on the device, a small holographic image of his own grinning face popped up, hovering just a few inches above the device.

He stared at the image intently, rubbing his chin with his hand, a pensive frown on his features. "Hmm…although that smile is undoubtedly charming…it seems to be missing some…love." He grinned. "Better fix that!" he concluded in a singsong voice as he picked up his tools and got down to work.

* * *

A/N: I guess this is a good time to talk about the names of the three main characters' past lives. I picked them based namely on sound…something that sounded traditional but still bears some resemblance to their current names. With Akari you have to take her title into consideration. Akari Hime…Orihime…yeah, works for me. Heh… 

Afterwards, I went about trying to figure out the meanings. Almost every word has multiple meanings, so I picked out the ones I thought suited the best:

Akari means "light". Hence, Princess of Light.

Gen means "serious/stern". Ji means "child". Guess Genji's not really a serious child, but that was the option I liked best. Haha!

Uki means "rainy season". Ta means "be proud/lonely". Does that suit him or what? I'm not too sure about "ta" though. That particular meaning only came up in one online dictionary.

And sadly, yes, I am depending on online dictionaries. Also, Japanese is kinda tricky in that kanji can be pronounced differently depending on what other words they're used with. So the combinations I picked could be totally wrong or impossible or something, and I wouldn't know it. Oh well. In the end I guess it doesn't really matter too much. It's just fun for me to think about. Heheh…

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I…have run out of random Bleach related items to list here. Is that a good enough excuse to go out and buy some more?

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Grimmjow had spent pretty much an entire day telling Orihime everything about their distant past. He had probably talked more in this one day than he had in his entire afterlife put together. It would take at _least_ three days of complete muteness in order to make up for all this excessive talking.

He even told her about that hair-raising promise she and Ukita had made at the end, muddling through somehow while suffering extreme agitation. He thought that being there and witnessing it was bad enough, but it didn't quite compare to actually having to regurgitate it. Never before had Grimmjow felt as strong a need to bash his own head in.

Orihime, however, seemed rather swept away by it…in a good way, he supposed. Ever since he told her, she'd been sitting there in a daze. He couldn't help but roll his eyes. _She's definitely Akari, all right…_

Orihime stared off into space, speechless and blushing. _So…long before I had ever wished for five lifetimes with Kurosaki-kun, I had already promised an eternity with Ulquiorra…_

Then she became downcast as she remembered the _other_ thing Grimmjow had said. "That was the last time we saw each other," she repeated his words quietly. "Why? What happened?"

"We were still away when the castle came under attack," he explained, his voice tinged with a sense of solemnity he rarely displayed. "It was already up in flames by the time we got there. We had to fight our way back in. I got cut up pretty bad, so Ulquiorra wouldn't let me follow. There was a hill nearby where we'd go train all the time. He told me to go wait for him there. Leave if I don't see him by dawn." He paused, his eyes glazing over slightly as he recalled their end. "So, I waited. He never came. But I wasn't gonna leave without him, so I stayed." He gave a humorless laugh. "I wouldn't have gone very far anyway. I bled to death by nightfall. My spirit became bound to the tree I was sitting under, still waiting for his sorry ass. But even his spirit didn't show." He turned his head to look at her. "That bastard probably died looking for you."

Orihime gasped, her eyes widening as Ulquiorra's words rang through her mind: _"I was searching for something."_

She cupped her hands over her lips and nose as realization hit. _He died looking for me… He became a hollow…__**because**__ of me!_ Unbidden tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to sob quietly.

Grimmjow placed his hands behind his head and leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes to give her a moment to herself and let her cry. After a while, he glanced over at her from the corner of his eyes. "Quit cryin' already," he said in a tone much softer than either of them thought he was capable of.

She sniffled and wiped her tears. "I'm sorry."

He studied her for a moment. "So, you just believe everything I said, huh?"

She gave a half-hearted laugh. "Yes. What would be the point of you lying? This is so…unrelated to anything that's been going on. It will gain you no advantage as far as the fighting's concerned." Not to mention, it was completely out of character for Grimmjow to talk about anything that weren't along the lines of 'I will kick so and so's ass!' or 'fix my arm!' or 'Ulquiorra pisses me off!' So, to him, this must have been important. She took a deep breath, sighed, then smiled. "I guess I'm just a sucker for fairytales."

"What if I got it wrong, and you're not Akari?" he pressed.

She looked down, playing with her fingers. "I'm…kind of hoping that you didn't," she admitted, eliciting a raised brow from the sexta Espada. She gave a small laugh, feeling slightly embarrassed. "So…what made you change your mind? Why did you decide to tell me?"

Silence hung in the air for a good while before he finally spoke. "Even when Ulquiorra was alive, he was just a variation of the statue that he is now. Way too serious. Cocky because he's so damn smart. And calm to the point it's annoying. He was impassive about pretty much everything. The only thing he ever showed real interest in was you." He gave a light shrug. "I just figured you should know."

"…oh…" It was hard to believe. Was she really that important to Ulquiorra?

"And now that you know…I want you to fix him."

"Eh? Fix him… What do you mean?"

"Bring back his memories," he explained as he scowled. "Loyalty is practically engraved into that guy's bones, and it's pissing me off that he has it all misplaced. I'll be damned if I'm gonna let him die as Aizen's dog."

It was Orihime's turn to raise her brows. Then she frowned. "But I don't know if it'll work. So far, you're the only one—"

"It'll work," he stated with certainty.

She tilted her head to one side in query. "How do you know?"

"If it worked on me, it's gotta work on him," re replied, a serious look in his eyes.

Orihime considered that for a moment. Was Grimmjow implying that their connection was what made the memory recovery possible? It did kind of make sense in a bizarre way. Since they had a close relationship, there was a connection they shared that she didn't have with all the other people she'd healed. It certainly would explain why Grimmjow was the only one to experience the 'side effect' so far. Looking at it from that perspective, it was really more about them reconnecting with each other than it was about her powers alone.

Nevertheless, even if the possibility existed, there was still one more problem. "So…how are you going to get Ulquiorra to actually _need_ healing?" she asked.

"Still working on that," he said as he rested his elbow on his knee, holding up his chin in one hand as his fingers tapped on his mask. He doubted that he would be able to get Ulquiorra into a serious enough fight for him to require any sort of treatment. That bastard had always been reluctant to fight him. He doubted even more that Ulquiorra would just willingly slice a limb off for no apparently good reason like he had been doing. Sure, no one in his or her right mind would do something like that, but that didn't really help him any.

Watching the blue haired Espada now, Orihime couldn't help but smile.

Eventually, Grimmjow caught her look and scowled. "What?" he asked irritably.

That reaction didn't deter her smile one bit. "Under all that frowning and growling, you really aren't that bad, are you…Grimm-chan?"

Grimmjow's eyes doubled in size. "G…? Gr…?!!" For the first time in his entire hollow existence, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques choked on air. He couldn't believe it. And he had been _so_ careful to leave _that_ part of their relationship out of his recounts!! With a grumble, his hand shot out like a conditioned response, pinching her cheek firmly between his fingers. "Listen, you! Don't you _ever_ call me by that sissy name again!! Got it?!"

"Ow, ow, ow!!"

The two of them were so absorbed in their little struggle, a domineering Grimmjow hovering over a helpless Orihime on the couch, that neither of them noticed someone else had walked into the room until Grimmjow felt the familiar sensation of cold metal pressed against his neck. He froze, turning his head slowly to find Ulquiorra standing behind him with his zanpakutou drawn.

"What are you doing, Grimmjow?" the fourth Espada asked in his usual manner.

Grimmjow snorted. "You crack me up, you know that? You don't remember a damn thing, but you react exactly the same way."

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed by a fraction. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Grimmjow pushed the blade away as he stood up. "Since you're back, I'm gone." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he began to saunter away. "Later, princess," he said as he threw one last glance back at the girl before stepping out of the room.

Orihime stood up as well. Though still rubbing her aching cheek, a smile was on her lips as she watched him leave. Then when her eyes met Ulquiorra's, her face began to flush as everything she had just learned about their past relationship rushed to the forefront of her mind.

"Are you sick?" Ulquiorra inquired in perfect monotone.

"Huh?" That question was rather unexpected. "Uh…no…why? Do I look sick?"

"You seem feverish."

Well, that certainly didn't help her blush go down any. Orihime winced internally, feeling more embarrassed than ever before. She really shouldn't have asked. "No, I'm fine," she finally mumbled out.

Her mind then turned to what Grimmjow had asked her to do. Could she reject Ulquiorra's memory loss? Even if she could, did that really mean anything? Grimmjow seemed to think that he subconsciously remembered her, but still…she had been reincarnated into a different person. Would he recognize her? Would he still have the same feelings for her? Would regaining his memories be enough to turn him from Aizen? Would he switch sides?

To think that he might switch sides…that was probably just wishful thinking. After all, remembering wouldn't change the fact that he was now a hollow. Nonetheless, there was a sliver of hope, of possibility. If she succeeded, she could potentially gain a friend, an ally, her freedom, and…perhaps something more. She had to at least try. "Um…Ulquiorra…you've said before that my powers are impressive. So…do you want to give it a try? It's really cool!"

He stared. "What do you mean by try, woman?" She was making even less sense than usual.

"Well…you know…you can maybe cut off your arm or something, and I'll put it back together for you like I did for Grimmjow. It's neat!" she beamed with enthusiasm.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes, suppressing the sudden urge to rub his temples. She said that as though she was saying folding a little origami arrancar was neat. "Lie down."

"Eh? Why?" she asked, somewhat confused.

"I think you really are sick. Lie down." Then again, spending an entire day with Grimmjow might do that to someone. In hindsight, perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to leave her with him after all.

Orihime huffed in indignation. "Really, I'm fine, Ulquiorra. I'm just—eek!" She squeaked as she suddenly found herself scooped up into his arms. He was looking at her with those slightly sharper than usual impassive eyes, which she interpreted as his way of saying 'don't argue, just do as I say'. Seemed he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Ok…I…guess I'll be lying down now," she said helplessly as he lowered her onto the white couch.

"Sleep," he ordered. Then he sat on the floor with his back against the couch, one leg pulled up with an arm resting on his knee. He closed his eyes as though he was settling down for the night.

To say that Orihime was surprised and perplexed would be an understatement. Normally, whenever Ulquiorra did sit when he came in, he would sit in one of the chairs on the other side of the room. Not to mention, he never actually stayed overnight…well, the hours of the endless night designated for sleep anyway. Was he really worried because he thought she might be sick? Or was he just using it as his 'reason' to be here?

She wasn't able to see his face, but he was close. Very close. He gave no explanation. In fact, he didn't even speak. But she didn't ask. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. He was near, and that made her happy. Before long, she drifted off to sleep with a soft smile on her lips.

When the sound of her breathing reached a steady rhythm, Ulquiorra opened his eyes, staring at nothing in particular. _What am I doing here?_

Even weak logic was beginning to lose ground. He didn't have to be here. Quite frankly, he probably _shouldn't_ be here. However, despite all that, he found his rationality was quickly losing the battle to his senseless desire to remain close to her.

* * *

On his high and mighty throne, Aizen sat with his eyes closed, an elbow on the armrest with his hand supporting his head as usual. Beside him stood Ulquiorra, his left eye missing from its socket.

After a while, Aizen opened his eyes as he tried to digest the information he had just been given. _What could that man be thinking?_

Urahara Kisuke had been the mastermind behind the ryoka breaking into Seireitei in order to rescue Kuchiki Rukia. Therefore, Aizen had more or less expected him to orchestrate something again this time. To find him doing absolutely nothing was rather surprising. In fact…it was doubtful and highly unlikely. Even if war were not on the horizon, that man would never be quite so idle. It simply was not in his curious and creative nature.

Aizen smirked. Urahara must have noticed he was being watched. He supposed he shouldn't have expected anything less. "And what about the boy, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"I was unable to locate his reiatsu," the fourth Espada reported. "It is possible that he is not in the living world."

"I see…" So the boy was being patient, a contrast to his initial speculation. "Interesting…"

While Aizen contemplated, Ulquiorra watched in silence as he tried to understand the true purpose behind his recent assignment.

* * *

As the fourth Espada made his way through the endless hallways of Las Noches, who should he find but Nnoitora along the way, just casually leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting for him.

"So, how are things going with Pet-sama?" the fifth Espada asked as he grinned his trademark wider than necessary grin.

Ulquiorra filed that question under 'waste of time' and walked past him without any acknowledgment.

Nnoitora caught up and barred his path. "You know…you seem pretty protective. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a thing for her. Why else wouldn't you let anyone else touch her?"

"I doubt Aizen-sama went through the trouble of bringing her here just to have you traumatize her into uselessness," Ulquiorra replied evenly before stepping around him to continue on his way.

"Right…Aizen-sama," Nnoitora drawled mockingly as Ulquiorra walked away. "I figured you'd say something lame like that." Without any warning, Nnoitora whirled around, raising his zanpakutou high above his head before swinging it down full force on Ulquiorra. The room shook, and the sound of the impact echoed through the halls. Ulquiorra, however, was not there. The only thing he cut into was the floor.

By now, the fourth Espada was already standing behind Nnoitora. "What do you think you are doing, Nnoitora?"

Nnoitora smirked. _Gotcha._ Whirling around once more while leaving his zanpakutou embedded into the floor, the fifth Espada attacked with a forward thrust of his hand. As expected, Ulquiorra brought up his arm and blocked with ease. The thrust, however, was merely a distraction. With his other hand, Nnoitora placed a small cube shaped device into Ulquiorra's hollow hole.

A spark of electricity sizzled and danced around Ulquiorra's body, and he realized with a start that his movements had been completely restricted.

A grin spread across the fifth Espada's face as he recalled how that nifty little device came into his possession:

_"The hell is this?" Nnoitora asked with zero appreciation as he eyed what looked to him like nothing more than a sugar cube in Szayel's hand._

"_I call it the Jaula Negacion. It's a little something I developed based on the Caja Negacion," Szayel explained, obviously proud of his invention. "Instead of trapping someone in a different dimension, what it does is traps them in this one. In effect, it's like the Shinigami's binding spells."_

"_Hold up a sec," Nnoitora said with a frown. "If I can dump him in another dimension, ain't it better than just binding him? I can just use the Caja Negacion. What the hell do I need you for?"_

_Szayel sighed, reminding himself that he was dealing with a being of lower intelligence. "That depends. Do you want to just lock Ulquiorra away for a few hours in a different dimension? Or would you rather immobilize him so you can slice and dice him as you please?"_

_Nnoitora suppressed a grumble from the blatantly condescending look the lowly eighth Espada was giving him. Then he roughly swiped the tiny object from Szayel's hand._

_Szayel smiled, satisfied. "Remember, he is the fourth after all. It's hard to say how long the Jaula Negacion will be able to hold him. As long as you move quickly, it shouldn't be a problem. However, if that should fail…" he gave a sly grin, "I do have a backup."_

Nnoitora reached behind him to dislodge his zanpakutou from the floor. Swinging the oversized crescent blades, he was ready to commence with operation slice and dice. Much to his disappointment, Ulquiorra caught the blade and held it firmly within his grasp. Though Ulquiorra was still grounded to where he stood, it would appear he was already beginning to regain control over some of his movements.

The fifth Espada snorted with a frown. "Jaula Negacion my ass. The thing's already wearing off." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the backup Szayel had given him: an injection needle. Swiftly stabbing the needle into Ulquiorra's neck, Nnoitora injected the unknown substance into his system.

The fourth Espada fell backwards onto the floor. Aside from not being able to move, he was now beginning to feel numb. He had to struggle just to maintain consciousness. Everything happened so quickly, he didn't even have time to wonder how he had so easily fallen into Nnoitora's trap.

Nnoitora stood over him now with his zanpakutou raised high above his head once more. "This one's for real, Ulquiorra," he said with a grin. "But don't worry. I'll be taking your place as the fourth…as well as pet keeper." That said, he brought his blade down on his opponent.

The force of the blow was so powerful that it kicked up all kinds of debris. When the dust cleared, Nnoitora was standing in a small crater of cracked floor tiles, but…once again…no Ulquiorra.

Without looking up, the fifth Espada spoke. "Che. Ya know, I really hate it when people stick their noses into other people's business…Grimmjow." He turned his glaring eyes up at that point to find Grimmjow standing about ten feet away with one hand grasping onto the fabric of Ulquiorra's clothes while the fourth Espada dangled face up like a broken doll from his hand.

"And I don't like it when other people touch my prey," Grimmjow said darkly, returning the glare. "If anybody's kicking his ass, it's gonna be me. Short of pissing all over him, I thought I had made that clear."

Nnoitora snickered as he remembered all the times Grimmjow rambled on about defeating Ulquiorra. It was no secret that the blue haired Espada hated Ulquiorra with a passion. Who wasn't at least annoyed with the fourth? But Grimmjow was obviously delusional. "Right," Nnoitora snorted. "Like that'll ever happen."

"That's none of your damn business," Grimmjow retorted. "Try this again, and you'll be dealing with me. Don't forget it." He turned and began to walk away, Ulquiorra's legs dragging along the tile floor as he went.

By this time, Ulquiorra's vision was blurring and he was barely hanging onto consciousness. Nonetheless, his unfocused eyes were still able to make out the face of the person who had come to his aid. "…Grimm…jow…" The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was the sexta Espada sparing him a glance with his usual scowl on his face.

"Shit! Well, that just took all the fun out of it," Nnoitora mumbled to himself with dissatisfaction as he watched them go.

At this point, the pink haired Espada stepped out from the shadows where he had been observing everything without getting involved. "Why didn't you fight?" he asked calmly. "You could have taken Grimmjow without problems."

"Fighting weaklings is a turnoff," Nnoitora said flatly. "Why'd you think I never bothered bashing _your_ ugly mug in?"

Szayel folded his arms with a small sigh. "You're really hurting my feelings here," he commented with smooth sarcasm. He was too good to let this brute's attempt at an insult get to him.

"Besides, Grimmjow's like a rabid dog," Nnoitora continued. "It'll be way too annoying if he decides to sick himself on me." He certainly didn't want to be in Ulquiorra's shoes and have Grimmjow pestering him for fights all the time. That would really suck. Then he eyed the other Espada. "Why the hell didn't _you_ fight?"

Szayel adjusted the frames on the bridge of his nose. "Our deal was for me to provide the means, and you would handle the combat," he explained. "I already told you I wasn't going to do the dirty work."

"Che. Wuss." After throwing Szayel a final look of disdain, Nnoitora turned and started walking off in the direction opposite of where Grimmjow had went. "Well, if you still want Pet-sama, you're on your own. I've lost interest. This ain't fun anymore."

"Hn. Didn't I just say that I wasn't going to do the dirty work?" Szayel said as he went off in yet another direction. Then again, Nnoitora _did_ manage to give Ulquiorra the injection. His lips curled up into a small smirk. "I suppose whether I will pursue this further or not will depend on whether he survives or not."

* * *

A/N: Jaula means "cage" in Spanish. So, whereas the Caja Negacion is the negation box/cube, the Jaula Necacion is the negation cage.

I actually went out and bought a kanji dictionary over the weekend, because the ambiguity of some of the meanings I've chosen for their names was really bugging me. LOL! I keep asking myself…why am I so obsessed over this? Maybe because they're like my kids now, and I want to try to name them as properly as I possibly can…being someone who doesn't actually speak the language. I'm sure something's probably still quirky about it. Haha! Anyway, I have since revised the meaning to Ukita's name. "Uki" is still "rainy season", but "ta" is now "great". The other one was too unreliable. While "great" might sound weird, I think it gets used in names a lot. Like **Ta**rou. And, yes, it's the same character in Hana**ta**rou's name as well. I now have all three of their names scribbled down in kanji. I have no idea why that makes me happy. LOL!

Um…the next chapter looks like it could be long, so it might take a bit longer than usual to update.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I would like to own a full size Tensa Zangetsu replica.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Grimmjow kicked open Orihime's door and unceremoniously dumped Ulquiorra in the middle of the room. "Fix him."

The girl rushed over, eyes wide with disbelief as she knelt beside the unconscious arrancar. He was cold, unmoving, seemingly relaxed, but at the same time sweating profusely. It was eerie. "What happened?!"

"That bastard Nnoitora shot him up full of something," the blue haired Espada explained. "You need to get it out of him fast. If that stuff came from Szayel… Let's just say that if all it does is kills, then Ulquiorra got lucky."

Orihime didn't need to be told twice. Activating her Souten Kishun, she enveloped Ulquiorra's entire body within its healing light. After a few moments, a frown marred her face as she sensed an unnatural presence. It almost felt like this presence was attempting to break down Ulquiorra's reiatsu and fuse itself into it somehow. Was it…some sort of mutation? Orihime didn't really want to find out.

She took a calming deep breath, her brows furrowing in concentration. "This may take a while."

* * *

(Ukita – Age five)

_The sun had long since dropped below the horizon, yet, still he stood unmoving before his father's grave. He had been there all day and cried all he could cry. His tears were gone now, and he simply stood, empty._

_Eventually, the sound of someone else's sobbing finally registered in his mind. Ukita turned his head to find Akari sitting on her heels beside him, rubbing the back of her sleeves over her eyes continuously as she hung her head. She had stayed by his side the entire time. Vaguely, the boy remembered that others had been there earlier in the day as well, including Hayashi-sama. Looking further away, he saw that the princess's guards were also present, waiting for her from a respectable distance._

_Ukita got down on his knees so he could speak with the girl closer to eye level. "Hime-sama, please stop crying. Even I'm not crying anymore."_

_She simply shook her head. "Ukita…I'm sorry."_

"_Please don't apologize. It wasn't your—"_

_She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his clothes as she shook with fear, grief, and guilt. "I saw it! Before it happened. In my dream… And then…and then it happened…and he never came back… I don't know why! I was so scared!" Her breathing hitched as she continued to cry. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."_

_Though he may not have understood it entirely, it was still shocking to hear. He wasn't sure what to think, but the princess was obviously in distress. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and the other one on her head. "It still wasn't your fault."_

_She tightened her grip around him. "Please don't tell," she pleaded in a whisper._

"_I won't," he promised._

_Akari pulled back to look at him. "Father said you'll be staying with us from now on. Is that true?"_

_Ukita nodded and turned his head to look at the gravestone. "I have nowhere else to go."_

_She wiped her tears and smiled brightly. "Then that means we can play together everyday! Right?"_

_He responded to her enthusiasm with a small smile. "Right."_

* * *

(Ukita – Age six)

_Ukita gathered the empty dishes onto his tray while the curious Akari watched the boy sitting on the futon whom he had just saved. "Where are you from?" she asked now that the boy had finished eating and was no longer starving._

_Genji shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "…nowhere."_

"_Where are your parents?" she asked again with a tilt of her head._

_Genji looked away but gave no reply._

"_Did they die?" Ukita asked, straightforward._

_Genji frowned. "No. But they might as well be dead. Haven't seen them in a while."_

_Akari looked to Ukita then back to Genji. "…why? Did something happen?"_

_The boy shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. "Guess there wasn't enough food to go around. I'm the youngest of three. They probably figured it'd take the longest to raise me, so they decided to get rid of me. My old man took me to some forest far enough away from home so I wouldn't know how to find my way back. And he just left me there."_

_Akari's hands flew to her lips. "That's terrible…" she whispered._

_Genji turned his head away as he tried to shrug it off again. "I could care less. Not like I need them. Haven't died, yet."_

"_You…have nowhere else to go?" Ukita asked as he studied the boy._

"_I don't even know where I am," Genji replied with a dry laugh._

"_Can you work?"_

_Genji's face twisted with confusion. "Huh?"_

"_Yabuki-san, who is in charge of housekeeping in the castle, has been trying to find new help," Ukita explained. "If you work, maybe you can stay here."_

_Akari perked up. "That's a great idea! Then we can play together!"_

_Genji, however, was unconvinced. "Are you kidding? I'm like…six! Who's gonna want to keep a brat like me around?!"_

"_I'm here," Ukita supplied. He was a bit of a special case, but that was beside the point. "I'll ask him for you if you would like to stay."_

"_Say yes! Say yes!" Akari pleaded with excitement._

_Genji was momentarily stunned speechless at their willingness to help. Ever since he had been wandering the streets, everyone he'd come across had generally ignored him. The only times he received any sort of attention were either when he was getting yelled at for picking through somebody's garbage or when he was being chased after stealing food. It had been a long time since he had felt anything akin to happiness, but he tried his best to seem as though he didn't really care. "Well, if you really want me to…guess I can't just say no."_

_Shortly afterwards, Genji found himself on his hands and knees, bowing before the old man by the name of Yabuki with Ukita kneeling beside him, pleading his case. "…and he can work as hard as any grown man. Since he is only a child, he will only need to eat half as much."_

_Genji's head shot up with shock at that. "Say what?!" However, Ukita quickly put his hand on Genji's head and forced it back down till his forehead hit the wood floor. "Ow!"_

_For good measure, Ukita kept his hand on the other boy's head to prevent him from getting up again. "If necessary, he can share my bed. Please let him stay."_

_The old man looked from one boy to the other as he tried to make his decision. Then his eyes trailed to the young princess peeking in from behind the open doorway with an anxious look on her face. Yabuki shook his head with a knowing smile. "Very well. As long as you make yourself useful, you may stay."_

_At that, Akari burst into the room, cheering joyously as she gave the old man a grateful hug. "Thank you, Yabuki jii-chan!!"_

_Genji looked up at Yabuki, shocked once again. "Really? You mean it, old man?"_

_Yabuki smiled with kindness. "Yes. And we have plenty of room, so you can have your own bed."_

"_Thanks so much!" Genji said as he got back to his feet. "Now, about the food…I'm not __**really**__ just gonna get half, am I?"_

_Yabuki only burst out into a hearty laugh in response while Ukita watched quietly with a reserved smile._

* * *

(Ukita – Age eight)

_The writing instructor had just left the room, and now the three children were sitting on their heels in front of their desks in silence, each with an ink brush in hand, practicing the words they had learned that day._

_A frustrated Genji grumbled as he struggled with his brush. This writing stuff just wasn't working out for him._

_Akari peeked over at his work and giggled. "Gen-chan's writing looks like worms."_

"_Shut up!" The poor boy was so caught up he even forgot to berate her about the nickname. By now, his hand was already covered with ink because he would keep putting it on the paper where the ink had yet to dry. So, when he decided to prop his chin up with his hand, some of the ink transferred to his face._

_Seeing his ink smudged face, Akari could only laugh._

_Genji glared at her, not sure what was so funny. "Why do I have to learn this stuff anyway? I'm just cleaning floors and washing dishes. This is useless!"_

_It was Akari's turn to scowl. "Father doesn't want you to be an idiot for life. You should be more grateful."_

"_I'll be grateful when he lets me off the hook," Genji griped with a sigh. He turned his head to his other side to see how Ukita was doing then did a double take when he saw that the other boy had already finished. "Oi, Ukita, do mine!"_

_Ukita noticed the ink on Genji's face but kept a straight face and kept quiet about it. "You won't learn if I do it."_

"_Come on! I'll give you my dessert tonight," he offered. Then he paused. "No, wait… I'll give you half of it."_

_Ukita sighed. Not everyone was motivated by food. "I think you are confusing me with yourself."_

_At this point, Hayashi entered the room. "How are the lessons going, children?"_

_All three of them got to their feet. While the boys bowed respectfully, Akari went to give her father a hug. Then she promptly went back to her desk to retrieve her sheet of paper, holding it up for her father to see. "The lessons are going well, Father. Look!" she beamed happily._

_Hayashi nodded approvingly then looked over to the boys. Upon seeing Genji's disheveled appearance and the mess on his face, he had to struggle to stifle his laugh. "Genji, it looks like you could use a break. Why don't you and Akari step out for a while? I would like to speak with Ukita."_

_Genji scratched the back of his neck. "Actually, Hayashi-sama. About the lessons…I was thinking—"_

_Akari clamped her hands over the boy's mouth with a nervous laugh. "Gen-chan! I know you really want to keep practicing, but since Father said we could take a break, let's go out and play for a while!" Flashing another smile back at her father, she pushed the boy out of the room, off the veranda, and into the garden before he could say anything stupid._

_Though slightly bewildered by that short display, Hayashi decided it was nothing he needed to dwell on. Seating himself on a cushion along the edge of the room facing out to the garden, he watched the young princess play. He beckoned Ukita to come sit by his side, and the boy complied. "Ukita, how long has it been since you came to live here?"_

"_Almost three years, my lord."_

"_It's already been that long, has it?" Hayashi asked, a distant look in his eyes. "Tell me…what do you remember of your father?"_

_Ukita blinked up at the man. It was unusual for his lord to bring up his father. Then he looked away thoughtfully. He had no memories of his mother, because she had passed away before he had even learned how to walk. His father had always been the most important person to him, but his memories of the time they'd spent together was already beginning to fade. "I remember his face," he finally said. "But…I have forgotten the sound of his voice."_

_Hayashi knew that, being so young, it was inevitable that the child would forget. "If there is one thing you must remember about your father, it would be that he was a man of greatness. Respected by many, not just for his skills and valor as a warrior, but also for his fairness and kindness as a man. He was…a good friend." He turned to look at the boy. "As his son, his only legacy, you should aspire to be like him and follow in his footsteps."_

"_Yes, my lord," Ukita replied. Though he said as much, he wasn't really sure what exactly was expected of him. However, he didn't have to wonder for long._

"_Ukita, I believe it is time you begin to learn the way of the sword," Hayashi said. "I have arranged for you to take lessons at the dojo with Takeda sensei every morning after breakfast time beginning tomorrow."_

_There was a slight problem. "…I have duties in the kitchen at that time of day."_

"_You needn't worry about that," Hayashi assured. "I will have someone take your place. Your work schedule will be reduced as necessary to allow you more time for training."_

_Ukita was unsure. Was it fine for him to not work as much? He felt like he wouldn't be earning his keep. "But…"_

_Hayashi read the confusion in the boy's voice. "I never intended for you to remain a servant for life," he explained. "It is merely a part of your discipline. You are destined for greater things, child. I will see to it. I swore on your father's grave after all." He smiled down at the boy as he placed a hand on his head. "I have high hopes for you."_

_Without a doubt, Ukita was grateful for everything his lord had done and was trying to do for him. He felt fortunate and privileged that Hayashi-sama would even bother thinking about him. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sudden weight on his shoulders as he realized the expectations he had to live up to. "Thank you, my lord. I will try not to disappoint you," he replied dutifully._

_Looking out into the garden, Ukita saw Genji in the distance trying to wash his hands in the koi pond while one of the guards was yelling at him. Nearby, Akari was picking flowers. Catching his eye, the young princess waved vigorously with a bright smile. Ukita waved back mechanically._

"_Akari seems quite fond of you," Hayashi commented as he noted their exchange._

"_Hime-sama has been very kind," the boy said truthfully._

_Hayashi stroked his beard in thought. "If you should become skilled enough as a warrior, perhaps one day you could become her guard and take on the duty of protecting her. I think she would like that."_

"_Protecting Hime-sama…" Ukita said quietly to himself._

"_That is…if you could surpass all of my other warriors," Hayashi added with an almost teasing smile. "After all, it is only fitting for the strongest warrior to be my precious daughter's protector."_

_The boy made no reply._

"_Remember, Ukita. Incompetence is sin. For one who is neither elderly nor ailing to be incompetent, it only means he is not putting forth enough effort. Those who do not try are worthless, wasting away the potential talents the gods have bestowed upon them. It is an inexcusable sin. You must always strive to be stronger than the strongest, greater than the greatest, better than the best. In so doing, you will surely reach your potentials."_

"_Incompetence is…sin," Ukita repeated thoughtfully as he looked back out to Akari. "I…I will try my best," he said, this time with more determination in his voice._

* * *

(Ukita – Age fourteen)

_"Hime-sama, please come down," Ukita said for the umpteenth time from under the tree._

"_No!" Akari said firmly from the branches above. "Not until you say it!"_

"_But…Hime-sa—"_

"_A…KA…RI!"_

"…"

_She frowned and pouted. "I'll jump! I mean it!"_

"_Please don't!" he voiced hastily as the muscles in his body flexed, readying himself to spring into action if necessary._

_Akari kicked her legs back and forth with a rebellious grin. "Then say it."_

_All the while, Genji was standing on the sidelines watching with folded arms and an I'm-having-the-time-of-my-life grin on his face._

_Ukita looked away with helpless exasperation. "We'll compromise. I will call you Hime."_

_Akari heaved an exasperated sigh of her own. She had been up in the tree forever, and this was the best she could get out of him. But truth be told, she was getting tired of sitting on the branch. "Oh, all right. Why do you have to be so difficult?"_

"_That would be my question," Ukita responded from below._

"_I'm coming down!" With that statement as her only warning, she jumped._

_In a moment of wide-eyed panic, Ukita rushed in and caught her neatly with one arm around her shoulders and the other one supporting her legs. "I thought the idea was for you __**not**__ to jump," he said, his heart still racing from the adrenaline._

"_Huh?" She gave him the innocent look. "Oh. Well, I figured you'd catch me anyway," she said, flashing him her brightest smile as she kicked her legs back and forth again._

_Ukita sighed. "That wasn't fair, Hime-sa—"_

_Akari clamped a hand over his lips with a small frown. "Say it again, and I'll get back up into the tree," she warned before removing her hand._

_He gave a small smile of resignation. "Very well, Hime." Then he set her down on the ground._

_The princess smiled triumphantly as she skipped her way over to give Genji a quick hug before running off in laughter._

"_Well, guess show's over," Genji commented as he turned to leave. Then he felt a rock hit the back of his head. "Ow!" Whirling back around, he found Ukita looking at him with an icier than usual glare._

"_You."_

"_The hell did I do?!"_

"_You gave her that idea." It was a statement, not a question._

_Genji grinned. "So? Just tryin' to help her out. You're such a stick in the mud, Ukita. Why do you have to keep calling her Hime-sama? It's not like Hayashi-sama's gonna kill you or anything. You've known each other practically since birth, for cryin' out loud."_

_Ukita turned away and reflected on that for a moment. "It's because that's who she is… I need to remember that."_

_Genji studied him briefly then placed his hands behind his head, looking away with a sigh. "You're so depressing sometimes."_

* * *

(Ukita – Age fifteen)

_Walking down the hall with a tray of food in his hands, Ukita stopped outside Akari's room. "Hime?"_

_There was no answer._

"_I'm coming in." He slid open the shoji screen door. As he had expected, she was a crying heap on the floor. He entered the room and placed the tray on the table before going to her side. Getting down on one knee, he lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hime?"_

_Almost immediately, Akari threw her arms around his waist as she continued to sob quietly into his chest._

_He held her in return. "Who is it?" he asked gently._

"…_Saitou-san," she replied in a whisper, feeling drained. "He won't be coming back… He's really nice. He used to teach me how to fold paper cranes. He's really good at it, because he always folds them for his daughter." She paused as another wave of tears consumed her. "I don't want him to die!"_

_Ukita held her and let her cry for a while before finally speaking. "They told me you wouldn't eat anything today."_

"_I'm not hungry," she replied, almost stubbornly._

"_You can't do this every time you have a vision. You must eat, Hime," he pleaded quietly. "Please."_

_Akari shook her head, tightening her grip around him. "Later."_

_Ukita sighed inwardly as he ran a hand down the length of her hair. "Later, then."_

* * *

(Ukita – Age fifteen)

_He placed another rice ball in his mouth. Though his tongue was able to register that there was something inside his mouth, his taste buds couldn't quite figure out what that something was. Quite frankly, he wasn't sure he wanted them to._

_This was probably the worst meal Ukita had ever had in his entire life. He would very much like to stop eating. However, one look at the innocent smiling face of the girl sitting beside him was enough to make him put another piece of red bean paste and seaweed stuffed chicken that had been slow cooked in a tub of hot sauce and lemon juice into his suffering mouth. It was so intensely sweet, sour, spicy, and salty all at once that it brought forth a sense of numbness within his mouth…which may not be such a bad thing at this point._

_It was the first time Akari cooked, and he did not want to see her disappointed. He was simply amazed by the fact that she didn't seem to be affected by any of it at all. On the contrary, Akari was actually enjoying the food. _

_As for Genji…one look across the table was enough to let Ukita know that they were in the same boat. The poor guy looked so miserable, forcing the food down his throat. He was practically in tears._

"_Oh!" Akari suddenly perked up. "I almost forgot!" She got to her feet and dashed out of the room. Soon, she returned with three bowls on a tray and set them on the table. "Try the soup! It's orange miso!"_

_Ukita and Genji shared a glance before looking apprehensively into their respective bowls._

_Ukita took a sip and…closed his eyes, his brows twitching ever so slightly. _Swallow…swallow…swallow… _Eventually, his throat complied._

"_How is it?" Akari asked with excited anticipation._

"_It's…different," the stoic warrior replied, noncommittal._

_Genji took a sip next and…immediately sprayed it out over everything on the table. He had reached his breaking point. "What the heck are you tryin' to feed me?!"_

_In the next instant, Genji realized that his outburst had been a grave mistake for it triggered the nauseous feeling that he had been trying to suppress for a while now. His eyes widened as he put his hand over his mouth. Climbing to his feet, he scrambled out of the room with haste._

_Akari watched him leave with a slight frown of worry and confusion on her face. "Eh?"_

_At this point, Ukita calmly stood up. "Don't worry. I will go check on him," he assured with a slight bow. "Thank you for the meal, Hime." He left to follow after Genji. As he got further away, he began to pick up his pace until he, too, was in a dead run._

_Two minutes later:_

_The two boys were standing on either sides of the tree in the farthest back corner of the castle's gardens, bent over with one hand bracing themselves against the tree trunk and the other one holding onto their stomachs as they regurgitated every last piece of food they'd just ingested._

_When Ukita had finally emptied his stomach, he stepped away weakly and lay down on the grass, staring up at the twilight sky. When he had caught his breath, he spoke. "I need a new coin sack."_

_Genji, though still in the process of heaving, looked up with a confused frown at that random statement. "Huh?"_

_Ukita held up his coin sack for Genji to see, holding it by the string so that the sack itself was dangling. The sack was so full that it wouldn't close properly, and the contents looked as though they were about to spill out. Even in the darkening sky, Genji was able to see that what was in the sack was definitely not coins. It was food._

"_I slipped half the food I was supposed to eat in here," Ukita explained apathetically. "It's ruined now."_

_Genji could only grumble with frustration. Whether he was frustrated with Ukita or himself…he wasn't entirely sure. "You…I…hate you…" he spat as venomously as possible between laborious gasps of air. He would have said some more colorful things, but another wave of nausea prevented him from speaking further._

_While Genji resumed his previous activity, Ukita tried, but failed, to hide his amusement._

* * *

(Ukita – Age sixteen)

_"Genji! Behind!" Ukita yelled across the battlefield._

_Genji whirled around just in time to parry the sword that was about to come down on him. With another swing of his blade, Genji took down his attacker with ease. However, in trying to deal with the surprise attack from behind, he had forgotten that he had yet to incapacitate his original opponent._

_Said opponent was about to take advantage of the situation and deal Genji a final blow when Ukita pushed Genji out of the way and took him down instead._

_At this point, what was left of their enemies had decided to retreat. The battle was won, and Ukita ordered their men to return to the castle._

_Seeing that Genji was still sitting on the ground, Ukita held out a hand to help him up. However, instead of taking the proffered hand, Genji exploded with rage. "What the hell did you do that for?! That was my fight!"_

"_He would have killed you," Ukita replied, unperturbed._

"_That's not the point! Stop saving me all the time! It's pissing me off!"_

"_If you don't want my help, then start working on your defenses. I get tired of telling you."_

_Genji got back to his feet, disgruntled. "I can take care of myself, damn it! Just stay the hell away from me!" With that, he marched off, mounted his horse, and took off._

"_Genji!" Though he called after him, Ukita knew he was only wasting his breath._

_Later that evening, when Ukita returned to the castle, he went to seek out Akari and found her in her room doing embroidery. "Hime. I…" he began as he stood in her doorway, unsure how to continue. Turning his head to the side, he heaved an uncharacteristically exasperated sigh._

_Akari blinked at him then chuckled perceptively. There was only one person in this world who could frustrate Ukita like this. "You made Genji mad again, didn't you?"_

"_If he refuses to properly defend himself, then I have to compensate for him. I fail to see why he faults me for it."_

_The princess put down her sewing and walked over to Ukita, laying a hand on his arm with a soft smile. "I'll go talk to him." Then she walked past him and out of the room._

_He closed his eyes and simply breathed. When he had recomposed himself, he went to look for them. It wasn't really much of a search. Genji was rather predictable. Whenever they'd have a dispute of this sort, he tended to brood inside the dojo. This time was no exception. Seeing Genji and Akari sitting inside the unlit dojo, still talking, Ukita decided that he would not barge in. Leaning his back against the wall, he settled in to wait for them to come out instead._

"…_but you're the one who's always being reckless," Akari chided softly. "Don't I keep telling you that?"_

_Genji, who was sitting with his legs crossed and arms folded, glared at the princess. "Did ya come here to make me feel better or worse?!"_

"_All right, don't get mad at me, too!" She sighed softly. "I'm just saying…" Her voice grew quieter. "…he gets nervous about losing you in battle, because you're basically his brother…and the only family he has."_

_Genji hissed. "I get that, Akari! So, why doesn't he get that it's the same for me?! If he gets himself killed one of these days because he was too busy worrying about me, I'm gonna be severely pissed! I don't want to be his damn burden! I can fight my own battles!"_

"_Stop being stupid, Gen-chan. You're not a burden," Akari said with a sympathetic frown. "You are, however, the biggest sweetie I know!" she finished with a giggle._

_Somewhat annoyed, he glanced sideways at her before looking the other way. "Don't give me that crap."_

_To that, she only laughed as she lay on her side, resting her head on his lap._

"_Oi! Get off!" Genji said irritably._

_That only made her laugh more, but she didn't move. "You're both just acting like big idiots. But…I guess that's what brothers do. Makes me kind of jealous."_

_Genji frowned but said nothing. After a while, he couldn't feel his leg anymore, because her head was cutting off the circulation. He shook his leg a little. "Oi, Akari!"_

_She didn't respond._

_When he leaned over to find her asleep, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What kinda princess are ya? Falling asleep on floors, using some guy's leg as a pillow." Resigned, he gently lifted her up into his arms to carry her back to her room._

_As Genji was coming out of the dojo, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Ukita casually leaning against the wall right beside him. The moment he regained his wits, he scowled with everything he had. "Were you eavesdropping, you bastard?!"_

"_You were talking so loud, I'm sure the entire castle heard you," Ukita retorted calmly without moving from his spot or making eye contact._

_Genji glared some more then turned and began to walk away. "Whatever. I'm going to bed."_

_Ukita closed his eyes with yet another sigh. "Sushi. Sake. I'm paying." By the time he opened his eyes, Genji was already standing in front of him again._

"_Let's go," Genji said flatly._

"_I thought you said you were going to bed."_

"_It ain't in my policy to pass up on free food," Genji explained, matter of fact. "Here." He dropped the sleeping Akari into Ukita's arms. "You take her."_

_Ukita arched his brows slightly in bewilderment. "Why should I—"_

"_She came on your behalf, didn't she?" Genji asked knowingly. "So, you take her back."_

_Heaving an inward sigh, Ukita decided not to argue and began to walk off. "Meet me at the gates."_

_Genji grinned, his foul mood forgotten. "Hurry it up, damn it! I'm hungry!"_

_Though Ukita did not respond, his lips curled up into a small smirk of his own._

* * *

(Ukita – Age eighteen)

_He and Genji had been on the road for a couple of days now, on a journey to deliver a scroll to a priestess who lived in a temple at a rather remote location. Their travels had been going rather smoothly so far. Good weather, no run-ins with bandits, and it seemed they would be arriving much sooner than they had anticipated. However, despite how well things were going, Ukita simply could not shake off the uneasy feeling._

_It was Akari's words that were bothering him. The way she had asked him to promise to return to her. At the time, he had only thought that it was her being her silly self as usual. However, the more he thought about it, the more concerned he became. Ukita pulled on the reins, and his horse came to a stop. "We have to go back."_

"_What?!" Genji asked, incredulous and confused. "We've already made it to the foot of the mountain. The stupid temple's right there!" he yelled, pointing to the speck at the top of the mountain. "Why do you want to turn back now?"_

"_Something's not right," Ukita said, seemingly still half lost in thought. "We have to go back." Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and snapped the reins, commanding his horse to retrace its path in a gallop._

_Genji ran an irritated hand through his hair as he mumbled to himself. "Right. You couldn't have thought of this three days ago. Had to wait till we got here first." Then he projected his voice. "Oi, Ukita! Wait up!" Snapping his reins, he tried to catch up._

_It was night when they had finally made it home. Even from a distance, it was evident that something had gone horribly wrong. The night sky was aglow with an eerie orange-red as the castle and half the town was up in flames. _

_Upon seeing the sight, Genji's eyes widened in horror. "Wh…what…?" It could only mean one thing. They were under attack._

_Coaxing their mounts to race ever faster, the two of them rushed forth. They fought their way back in through the now chaotic town. Somewhere along the way, they were forced to dismount when their horses had been fallen. Before long, the number of wounds their bodies sustained began to accumulate. Though outstanding warriors they were, they were simply outnumbered._

_Eventually, they were able to make it to the castle walls. As they stood catching their breaths, Ukita noticed how badly Genji had been hurt. His hand clenched tightly around the hilt of his blood soaked sword as he turned his eyes up to the towering flames. "I'll find her."_

"_I'm coming with you," Genji insisted with a frown, sensing Ukita's intentions._

"_No. You're wounded," Ukita reasoned as he eyed a particularly deep sword wound on Genji's shoulder. "Wait for me at the tree on the hill, Genji. If I'm not there by dawn, leave without me." With those final words, Ukita dashed off, leaving Genji behind. He could hear Genji's voice hollering after him, but aside from his name, the sound of battle had drowned out all other words._

_The usually calm and collected warrior had become frantic at this point. _She knew… She knew! That's why she sent us away!

_He had no idea if she was still alive. And Genji…with those wounds, Ukita wasn't sure if he would be able to fight his way back out. Without Akari's healing, he may not survive. But…he can't afford to think about all of that right now. He had to concentrate on finding her. He had to find her!_

_His only thought as he rushed into the burning castle without hesitation: He will find her!_

* * *

Ulquiorra bolted up into sitting position, startling Orihime, who had been hovering over him, into leaning back. Without looking, his hand shot out to the side, firmly taking hold of hers.

Orihime held her breath. Silence hung in the air until, finally, he spoke.

"I was searching for you…" He turned and looked at her then. "Hime."

* * *

A/N: Another round of thanks for favs, alerts, and especially reviews!!

Chapter ten, otherwise known as the Ulquiorra flashback chapter, or the highly italicized chapter, is one of my personal favorites. I had a lot of fun coming up with all the memories, so I hope you liked it! Despite it being longer than the other chapters, it actually didn't take as long as I thought it would to write. Hope it wasn't an overdose of flashbacks. Ulqui has to get it all in one go, because he's too rational to self-mutilate. That act of craziness is reserved exclusively for Grimm. Haha!

So, I said I'd touch on Genji's lack of a last name. Since his family abandoned him, he decided that he'd disown them as well by dropping the family name. But if someone really, _really_ forced him to give a family name…he'd probably say Kimura. Heh…

Definitions, just in case: Jii-chan is grandpa/gramps. Sensei is teacher.

Hayashi doesn't show up very much, but he's pretty key in the shaping of Ukita's (therefore Ulquiorra's) personality. I hope that came across. He's not really a conventional kind of lord. That's probably evident in the personalities Akari and Genji were allowed to cultivate over the years, not to mention the relationship between Ukita, Akari, and Genji. Haha! But even though he may be lax about certain things, he's still a man of high standards especially where performance is concerned. He's a feudal lord after all. His people love him, though. He's respectable and just. I like him quite a bit myself, even if he did unknowingly put a ton of pressure on my poor Ukita. Heh...

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I would like to own a Kon plushie.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

A light blush colored Orihime's cheeks as she remained motionless, too startled to move. Not only was her hand currently within Ulquiorra's tight grasp, he had just called her 'Hime'. The guy sure didn't waste any time, did he? He bypassed Inoue, bypassed Orihime, and just went straight from 'woman' to a nickname.

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she smiled softly. "You remember." Orihime couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. She really wanted him to remember her. The fact that he did remember proved that everything Grimmjow had said was true, and she was indeed Akari. Any doubt or uncertainty she may have harbored had all but vanished right there and then.

Ulquiorra's brows creased slightly at her words. "You know?"

"Well…not exactly. But…someone's been filling me in." Her eyes trailed over to the couch.

He followed her line of sight to the figure lounging on said couch. "…Genji."

Grimmjow's face broke into a grin. "Well, well. Looks like somebody's got his brains back. How much do you remember?"

Ulquiorra looked away, still feeling rather drained. "Everything."

The sexta Espada dropped his grin as he looked to Orihime, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Under that stare, Orihime gave a sheepish laugh as she scratched her face lightly with her finger.

"That just ain't fair," Grimmjow said, none too happy. "What's up with that?"

Orihime shifted nervously. "Well…Ulquiorra had pretty much a full-body treatment, whereas you just kept lopping off your arm. See! I told you you should have let me heal that big scar on your body!"

"If that's how it works, you should have said so sooner!"

"But I didn't know," she said, shrinking back from his increased volume. "I'm just theorizing."

While these two were engaged in their discussion, Ulquiorra took the opportunity to get back to his feet, taking a few steps away as he tried to process everything. Listening to them now, he began to piece things together. It would appear that Orihime had the ability to reject memory loss, and she had already restored Grimmjow's memories. When she had suggested that he cut off his limb for her to heal the other night, she must have been trying to use it as a means to make him remember. Things were beginning to make sense now.

Though Ulquiorra was thoroughly amazed by Orihime's ability, the sense of amazement wasn't quite powerful enough to make him overlook the bit about Grimmjow's reckless actions. It sounded unbelievable. Then again…for him…maybe not. "Grimmjow…you cut your own limb off repeatedly of your own accord?"

The blue haired Espada redirected his glaring eyes to Ulquiorra. "Just shut up and appreciate the hell of pain I put myself through just to remember your sorry ass. And since princess here can put me back together," he added, jabbing a finger at Orihime, "I got nothing to worry about."

The fourth Espada took a moment to stare. "You haven't changed."

Grimmjow folded his arms. "You know, you're not sounding very grateful here."

"Hime did all the work."

"It's ok," Grimmjow said with a careless shrug as he leaned back more comfortably into the couch. "I understand if you're too shocked to accept that _I'm_ the one who saved _your_ ass this time."

Ulquiorra turned his eyes away with an internal sigh. "Don't be ridiculous."

"What was that?!" A rock struck Grimmjow's forehead before he had even finished talking. He only remained dumbstruck for a second before he started to grumble. "Damn it! I can't believe you still carry those things around!"

"Habit," Ulquiorra replied impassively as he put his hands in his pockets. "But now I remember what they're for."

Orihime looked from one to the other with blinking eyes, noting how the atmosphere between the two had changed completely. Ulquiorra seemed somewhat different in a way. It wasn't that his personality had changed. He just seemed more…alive, like a switch had been turned on. Grimmjow, in turn, seemed to feed off of that change, becoming more animated himself. Nevertheless, despite the extra curses that kept rolling off his tongue, he appeared more relaxed than she had ever seen him before.

It was strange but, somehow, to Orihime, this felt like home. She chuckled lightly to herself, and the two members of the Espada stopped their argument as though they had suddenly been reminded of her presence.

Ulquiorra glanced over at Orihime, his sense of guilt floating to the surface. How could he have forgotten her? She was the most important person in his life. Now he was the one responsible for bringing her into danger, making her live the life of a captive. How did things end up like this?

Grimmjow caught the look on Ulquiorra's features. "So. What're you gonna do?" he asked in all seriousness.

Ulquiorra placed a hand on his temples but said nothing.

Grimmjow and Orihime shared a glance. For Ulquiorra to actually show physical signs of distress…he must be feeling _seriously_ distressed.

Ulquiorra felt like his world had once again been flipped upside down…or perhaps, it was right side up again. Suddenly, everything that he had been doing up until now seemed unimportant. Shinigami…hollows…the upcoming power struggle… None of that really mattered anymore. In the face of this one girl, even the importance of his creator's ambitions paled in comparison. "This changes everything," he finally said. Then he turned his eyes to Orihime once more. "We have to get you out of here."

Grimmjow grinned. Ulquiorra's use of the word 'we' did not go unnoticed.

"You'll take me back to the living world?" Orihime asked, genuinely surprised.

The fourth Espada shook his head as he went over to offer her his hand and help her to her feet. "No. Aizen-sama will simply send someone to capture you again. You will not be able to hide from him. Not to mention, with the uncertainty of warfare on the horizon, escape alone will not be enough to ensure your safety."

The grin on Grimmjow's face was growing wider by the second. He definitely liked where this was going.

"The only way to guarantee your safety…" Ulquiorra paused, closing his eyes as he struggled within, "…is to stop Aizen-sama."

Orihime was wide-eyed and speechless, her mouth slightly agape.

Grimmjow on the other hand, was laughing with triumph. "That's _exactly_ what I wanted to hear!"

"But…how?" Orihime inquired, somewhat uncertain.

"We're going to kick his ass, right?" Grimmjow asked, still grinning from ear to ear. "Tell me we're going to kick his ass!"

Ulquiorra sighed. Unfortunately, he didn't quite share in Grimmjow's elation at the prospect of bringing Aizen to ruin. For him, his choice had been simple. Simple in the sense that Orihime's wellbeing was his first priority, and, now that he remembered who he was, he would never choose anything over her. However, in order to achieve that simple objective, he had to endure the difficulty of betraying his creator.

Ulquiorra wasn't stupid. He had no delusions about where he stood with his master. The arrancars were created to be nothing more than expendable tools of war. Nonetheless, regardless of the fact that he knew this, the idea of betraying the one who created him was something that went against his morals. But for now, he had to push those thoughts aside and focus on what he had to do. "We have to take away his source of power."

Grimmjow understood immediately. "The hougyoku."

"It is the key to everything," Ulquiorra continued. "Without it, Aizen-sama's plans will not come to fruition."

At that moment, Orihime suddenly grabbed onto Ulquiorra's arm with urgency. "Ulquiorra! Then can you do me a favor?!"

* * *

It was night in the living world when Ulquiorra stepped out of Garganta, arriving in the midst of abandoned warehouses. Now that he knew what he was looking for, it became obvious that one of the warehouses had a powerful barrier erected around it. That was why he hadn't been able to sense Kurosaki Ichigo's reiatsu when he was here on his last mission.

Though it had bothered him at the time that he was unable to locate the boy, that failure was certainly working to his advantage now. If Aizen had found out where Ichigo was, this place would most likely be kept under surveillance, making it impossible for him to come unnoticed. As things were currently, as long as Ulquiorra kept his reiatsu in check, nobody would know that he had come to the living world. Nobody, except those that he wanted to notice his presence. He leaked just enough reiatsu for that purpose and, with his hands in his pockets, waited for a response.

Before long, a shinigami with bright orange hair burst out of the warehouse, turning his head left and right until his eyes fell upon Ulquiorra. "You!" Ichigo said, deep scowl in place as he marched forth, his hand reaching over his shoulder for Zangetsu. "Where's Inoue?!"

"I am not here to fight, shinigami," Ulquiorra replied calmly. "I came at the request of Inoue Orihime."

Ichigo's eyes widened at that unexpected statement before they narrowed with suspicion, unsure whether the arrancar's words should be trusted or not.

However, before the boy could begin any sort of interrogation, Ulquiorra had already turned his back, walking away. "I need to speak with Urahara Kisuke. Follow me if you wish."

"If all you need to do is talk to Urahara-san, then why did you come here?" Ichigo asked, obviously still guarded.

The arrancar stopped, looking back over his shoulder. "I felt it was unnecessary as well. However, it would seem she wants to keep you informed. You can come…or not. I do not care." He continued on his way without waiting for a reply.

Ichigo only hesitated for a moment before following after Ulquiorra. Whether he was lying or not, the arrancar was up to something. He had to find out what that something was.

It didn't take long for Ichigo to notice the leisurely pace at which Ulquiorra was traveling. With his hands in his pockets, the guy looked like he was just going for a midnight stroll. "Urahara's place is kind of far away," he finally said.

"I am aware of that," came the flat reply.

"Well then…why aren't you using that hollow version Shunpo?" His usual impatience aside, Ichigo really wasn't too keen on spending _that_ much time with the arrancar.

"It is called Sonido."

"Whatever."

"If I were to use Sonido, it would give off too much reiatsu."

Ichigo's scowl deepened. For some unknown reason, he was feeling more irksome by the second. "Yeah. So?"

"Broadcasting my location defeats the purpose of my coming here in secrecy." Ulquiorra gave Ichigo a sideward glance. "You're not very bright, are you?"

The orange haired boy gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he mumbled curses under his breath.

As the two of them got further away, Shinji emerged from the warehouse, watching them with a pensive frown on his features.

"What's that all about?" Hiyori asked from beside him.

"I'm not sure," Shinji replied honestly before a grin spread on his face. "But it looks like things will start happening soon."

* * *

Within the walls of Urahara Shouten, silence hung in the air as Ulquiorra stood calm and composed with his left eye missing from its socket.

Ichigo was still in the process of trying to recover from shock. After all, it wasn't everyday that someone would use his own fingers to casually pull out his own eyeball and shatter it into a million pieces. As if that wasn't freaky enough, mental images started to play like a film inside Ichigo's head as a result of that morbid trick.

"I see…" Urahara finally said, a slight grin on his lips while his eyes remained hidden behind his hair. "So, Inoue-san would like to know if she could reject the hougyoku's existence."

"Can it be done?" Ulquiorra asked simply.

"Wait," Ichigo said, looking at the fourth Espada with eyes of distrust and confusion. "Ulquiorra…why are you doing this? Why are you helping us?"

"Do not misunderstand," Ulquiorra replied in perfect monotone. "I have no interest in your cause. I am merely doing what is necessary to ensure the safety of Inoue Orihime."

That only made Ichigo frown harder. "That…doesn't make sense either. Why would you do that?" He was having a hard time understanding what was going on. He could have sworn that for a second, he even saw Grimmjow in his peripheral vision during that 'recording'. _Grimmjow!_ Was he losing his mind?

In the mean time, Urahara was eyeing the both of them from behind his fan.

"Simple," Ulquiorra said. "My purpose has changed."

If possible, Ichigo looked even more confused. "Huh?"

"More accurately…I have remembered my original purpose."

Ichigo hung his head, shaking with frustration as he mumbled to himself between clenched teeth. "Why does the way you talk have to be so annoying?!" Then he glared up at Ulquiorra and projected his voice. "What the heck is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

At this point, Urahara spoke up. "Oh?" A grin spread across his face. "Interesting…"

Ichigo turned to the shop owner with arched brows. "Eh? Urahara-san, you get what this guy's talking about?"

The exiled shinigami ignored Ichigo's question. Still grinning, he turned to Ulquiorra. "So, Ulquiorra-san… Am I in the correct assumption that if I were to speak to you, you would be able to relay my message to Inoue-san in the same manner in which you brought hers to me?"

"That is correct," Ulquiorra replied. By now, his left eye had already returned to its original location, fully regenerated.

Urahara slapped his fan shut, his features becoming serious. "Then listen carefully…Inoue-san."

* * *

A/N: Ichigo…even though he's not in my top five favorite Bleach characters, I still like him a lot. But I have come to realize that I also like abusing him quite a bit as well. LOL! He doesn't appear all that much, but pretty much every time he shows up, _somebody_ is giving him a hard time. Haha! Somehow, it just naturally flows that way.

Here's a grammar question. The word "haired" gets used a lot in fanfics. Blue haired, orange haired… But it's not really in the dictionary, and spell check doesn't recognize it either. So, is it really a word? Every time I use it, I wonder…

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I would like to own a real functioning piece of Soul Candy…along with a life-size Ulquiorra doll. (…currently imagining the horror of having a Chappisized Ulquiorra bouncing around my room and saying things like "Eat your food…pyon!" … LOL!)

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Orihime sat on the white couch with downcast eyes, her fingers fidgeting tensely.

Ulquiorra stood facing her on the other side of the room with his back leaning against the wall, observing her movements.

Grimmjow sat at the table with his chin in hand, his eyes lazily trailing between the other two occupants of the room, unsure as to how much longer he could take the heavy silence that was currently dominating over them. Just as he was about to crack, Ulquiorra spoke.

"We will find another way."

Orihime felt downhearted. "But…"

"We will find another way," Ulquiorra repeated, his tone bargaining no argument.

She sighed as Urahara's words repeated themselves in her mind:

_"It is possible for you to reject the hougyoku's existence. That is your power, after all. However, the more powerful something is, the more spiritual energy you must exert in order to reject it. And the hougyoku is an object of immeasurable power. If you should expend all of your spiritual energy in the process…you will not survive. Remember. The reason why I attempted to hide it in the first place was because I could not find a way to destroy it myself…"_

"It's still worth a try," she said, though not sounding the most confident. "If I can just do this, then everything will be over! And…I can always stop half way if I find it's too much—"

"Anything that puts you at risk goes against everything I am trying to do," Ulquiorra interjected. "I believe your nakama and I are in agreement on this."

The rest of the 'message' came back to Orihime's mind. Through Ulquiorra's eyes, she was able to watch as Ichigo approached, fisting both of his hands into the fourth Espada's clothes:

_"Oi, Ulquiorra, don't let Inoue do anything crazy! Just tell her to wait. We'll definitely get her out of there!"_

Although Orihime was able to hear the entire message, she lost the visual half way through that speech. She chuckled silently to herself as she imagined Ulquiorra must have closed his eyes at the time in attempt to block out Ichigo's in-your-face tactic.

Then Grimmjow spoke up, sounding rather annoyed. "Can't we just steal the damn thing, get the hell outta here, dump it on that Urahara guy, and let them deal with it?"

"Locating the hougyoku is another problem," Ulquiorra said.

The sexta Espada raised a brow. "Doesn't Aizen just keep it in that pole-looking contraption that comes up out of the floor next to his _almighty_ throne?"

"Do you think Aizen-sama would be so careless to keep something that important where everyone knows where it is?" Ulquiorra asked apathetically. "That one is a decoy."

Grimmjow frowned. "How the hell do you know?"

Ulquiorra heaved an internal sigh. "I was the one who proposed the idea. It is an easy way to weed out those who could not be trusted."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot," Grimmjow said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Aizen's number one loyal dog." Then he couldn't help but grin. "Can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face when he finds out."

"So, that puts us back at square one," Orihime said with a heavy sigh. "I can't wait to get out of here. I can go to school again…see my friends…eat _real_ food…"

The blue-haired Espada gave an involuntary twitch.

She continued, oblivious. "…sleep in my own bed…wear my own clothes… I can show you guys around town, go to my favorite cake shop, and we can do all sorts of fun things!"

Her smile faltered when she caught the boys sharing a silent glance. Looking from Grimmjow to Ulquiorra, she asked with slight apprehension, "You're coming with me…right?"

Ulquiorra held her eyes but said nothing.

Orihime stared back, the sinking feeling growing ever stronger within her heart.

Grimmjow observed the two in their staring contest with a bored look on his face, holding up his chin with one hand as he tapped his fingers on the table with the other. While Ulquiorra appeared to be having a sad, conflicting, longing sort of look, Orihime seemed to be expressing the worried, distressed, longing kind of look. Either way, Grimmjow was positive the longing bit was in there somewhere.

Orihime stood up and took a step forward. "Ulquiorra…"

At that moment, Grimmjow slammed his hands on the table and bolted up from his chair. "STOP!"

That sudden commotion caused the other two to turn their heads and give him their full attention.

"I thought I'd specifically said that I didn't want to see any of this crap," Grimmjow said with a scowl.

"I wasn't doing anything," Ulquiorra replied, unperturbed and matter of fact.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at both of them. "But you were about to. I know that look."

Orihime's hands flew to her cheeks to cover her blush. "Look? What look?"

"It's the look that says…I better get the hell outta here if I don't wanna throw up."

Ulquiorra looked away. "Ridiculous."

"Yeah, whatever," Grimmjow said as he headed for the door. "Just…" He waved a casual hand in the air as he tried to find the words. "…come get me when you're ready to talk mutiny."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Orihime walked the rest of the way to Ulquiorra and picked up his hand, holding it in both of hers with a look of worry on her features. "Ulquiorra…"

"I do not belong in the living word," he said plainly. "Neither does Grimmjow. Soul Society will not overlook it."

Orihime lowered her head, still holding onto his hand like her life depended on it. She wasn't so naïve to not see the life and death, human and hollow barrier between them. Nonetheless, now that she had finally found someone who truly cherished her, how could she simply let go? The three of them had come back together after being separated for so long. Wasn't that fate? Didn't that mean they were meant to be together?

She looked up at him with a huge smile plastered on her face. "You know, Urahara-san is a genius! I'm sure he'd be able to help us. Maybe make you a gigai or something. And…did you know that Kuchiki-san lives in Kurosaki-kun's closet when she's in the living world? But you won't have to live in my closet or anything, though. I don't think Grimm-chan will even fit. But I'm sure we'll think of something. And…"

Ulquiorra watched as she continued. She was rambling. And though she smiled, her hands were trembling.

He took hold of one of her hands and tugged her closer, holding her hand to his chest.

She immediately fell silent, surprised at his action.

With his other hand, he picked up a lock of her vibrant hair, watching it slip between his fingers as he spoke. "For me, it is clear now. Everything that did not make sense before…the need to protect you…be near you. I now understand why that is." He looked up at her. "And my feelings will not change."

Her face flushed as she averted her eyes shyly, training them on their joined hands instead.

"But you," he continued. "You have no memory of your past life. It should not be difficult for you to return to the living world, resume your life, and forget about us. You have no attachment here, so why do you insist on us remaining together?"

Orihime gave a soft and almost incredulous smile, as though in disbelief that he even asked the question. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked as she placed her free hand over his, the one that was still gently holding onto a lock of her hair. "I fell in love with you again."

Ulquiorra wasn't sure how to react to that statement, feeling both elated and troubled by it at the same time. He wanted to ask her why. He was the one who had abducted her after all.

However, before he had a chance to formulate his question, Orihime held up a finger with a slightly serious frown on her face. "Do you know what that means?" Then she broke into a wide grin. "It means I'm winning! I fell in love with you two lifetimes in a row! That means I get two points. But you haven't been reincarnated yet, so, technically, you're still living that same lifetime. So, you only get one point. I'm beating you!" She smiled brightly and laughed.

He contemplated as the nostalgic sound of her laughter washed over him. She was still the same pure, bright, and energetic Princess of Light. He had spent his life trying to protect her. She was the reason for which he lived. Yet, in the end, when it really mattered, he had been unable to save her…and he had been unable to save Genji. He was the only one who knew of her ability, her curse, to foresee death. She had entrusted him with that secret. Yet, he hadn't been able to realize what she was trying to do when she had sent the two of them away that day. He had failed her in every way. For all the skills and intelligence that he had been praised for, in the end, he had been…incompetent. He didn't deserve her.

"Ulquiorra? What's wrong?"

Her concerned voice shook him out of his reverie. "Hime…" he began, his voice quiet and uncharacteristically hesitant. "Can you ever forgive me?"

She frowned with confusion. "…for what?"

Shame made it impossible for him to explain himself. Pulling her into his arms, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Her frown deepened, definitely worried now. "Ulquiorra…" she tried again, but was only able to get another whispered apology in return. Feeling helpless, she did the only thing she could do and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

* * *

Back at Urahara Shouten, the shop owner's other visitor of the night was still there.

"Urahara-san, I need a favor," Ichigo began. "Can you help me find a way to get a message to Rukia?"

Urahara perked up. "Oh! You wrote a love letter, huh?"

Two seconds later, the exiled shinigami found himself trying to stop a nosebleed. "I gueth thath a no…"

Ichigo, still scowling with his fist held high, had to take a moment to sober up again. "I'm worried that Inoue might try to do something stupid, so I need to go get her before that happens. Which means I have to wrap up my training now." Subconsciously, he reached up to touch the metal collar around his neck.

Urahara, now serious as well, said, "And so, you would like to inform Kuchiki-san, is that correct?"

The boy nodded. He did make her that promise after all. Inoue was as much Rukia's nakama as she was his. He can't deny Rukia's right to contribute to the rescue effort, despite his own feelings and concerns. He'd just have to be strong enough to protect them both if the need should arise.

"Very well," Urahara said, breaking the boy from his thoughts. He then placed a hand by his mouth and projected his voice. "Yoruichi-san! May I trouble you to take a quick trip to Soul Society? Kurosaki-san here has a message for Kuchiki-san."

Moments later, a black cat entered the room, silently sliding in from the crack between the shoji screens that had been left ajar. "Ah, finally got around to writing that love letter, I see," she said, ever so casually.

Ichigo's face turned bright red as he screamed. "IT'S NOT A LOVE LETTER, DAMN IT!!"

* * *

Ulquiorra stepped out of Orihime's room only to find Grimmjow sitting on the floor in the hall, looking bored, and apparently waiting for him.

The sexta Espada arched his brows. "That was…" he turned his head to the side, "…fast. I figured it'd take longer to—" He paused as an image of himself being struck by a rather large rock flashed through his mind. Turning back to Ulquiorra, instead of a rock, he saw an I-dare-you-to-finish-that-thought glare in the fourth Espada's eyes.

"And yet, here you are," Ulquiorra said in his typical impassive fashion. "Aren't you the fool for waiting here if you thought it would take long?"

Grimmjow gave a careless shrug, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Not like there's anything else to do in this place. Figured if I sat here, maybe I'd at least be able to hear something interest—Ow!!" He got the rock that time…in fact, it was a shower of rocks.

"Stop spouting nonsense."

Grimmjow grinned as he rubbed his forehead, deciding that a change of subject would be better for his health. "Akari's still pretty much the same, isn't she? She asks me a bunch of random crap like 'do you feel a draft through your hollow hole?' and what not, but other than that, she hasn't changed at all."

"You are forgetting she used to ask you every summer if your ice blue eyes would melt from the heat," Ulquiorra reminded.

"Oh yeah," Grimmjow said dryly. "If nothing else's changed…then I wonder if her food's still as inedible as ever."

"I can stand to not find out," Ulquiorra said, answering almost before Grimmjow had finished speaking.

To that, the blue-haired Espada only chuckled. It would seem that they'd both been scarred for life and afterlife as far as that was concerned.

A slight smirk graced Ulquiorra's lips before he redirected the conversation in a more serious direction. "Grimmjow. I know what I must do. However, you do not—"

"You're kidding, right?" Grimmjow cut in, already knowing what he was going to say. "You really think I'll just sit out and let you have all the fun?"

Ulquiorra sighed. "Not really. I am merely pointing out that you have…other options." It was obvious that Grimmjow wanted to go against Aizen. Anyone who wasn't blind would have noticed his dislike for the ex-shinigami. Nonetheless, Ulquiorra didn't want Grimmjow to just blindly follow his path. The last time he did that, it had led him to his death. Ulquiorra simply could not shake the responsibility. If Grimmjow were to follow him this time, he would become a traitor. Not to mention, the likelihood of them coming out of this alive was rather low. The guilt was eating away at the melancholic Espada.

"Being Aizen's lackey for all eternity is a pretty crappy option if you ask me," Grimmjow scoffed.

"…"

"If there ever were a rule in Hueco Mundo, it would be 'it's every man for himself'," Grimmjow said, almost sneering. "I have no idea why the others are sticking around, but it sure as heck ain't because they're all devoted to Aizen. All this loyalty crap's just in your head, Ulquiorra." He deepened his scowl. "That prick ain't nothing like Hayashi-sama. He's not worth your time."

Ulquiorra didn't answer, but it was clear to Grimmjow that he was struggling, and it wasn't just the issue of Aizen that he was struggling with. "She asked if you're gonna leave with her," Grimmjow said. "What did you say?"

The fourth Espada looked away, maintaining his silence.

Grimmjow raked a hand through his hair as he heaved a sigh of frustration. _Figures._ "Since you're inherently depressing, I know what you're thinking. But I say to hell with Soul Society and all that crap. Just do what you want for once."

Ulquiorra blinked with mild wonderment at Grimmjow's words. Just yesterday, the two of them would refrain from speaking to each other unless absolutely necessary, because they didn't want to have anything to do with one another…Grimmjow's constant pestering for a fight aside. And now, all of a sudden, they almost didn't _need_ to speak, because they knew each other so well.

Were they different people now? No. Just more complete now that they had their missing parts filled in. Ulquiorra wondered if that meant their hollow holes would disappear since they were essentially whole again, or if that was impossible because what was done could not be undone? He supposed that, in the end, it didn't really matter either way. It wouldn't change the fact that they were dead and Orihime was alive. And it wouldn't change the fact that he no longer felt he was worthy of being by her side. With downcast eyes, he finally spoke. "I have no right to simply do what I want."

For the first time ever, Ulquiorra got hit in the head with a rock.

"Damn it, that's why I say you're depressing," Grimmjow said with annoyance as he retrieved another one of the rocks Ulquiorra had previously thrown at him just in case the fourth Espada decided to say anything else aggravating. "Look, if you can't do what _you_ want, then think of it as doing what _she_ wants." Then he mumbled under his breath, "It's the same thing anyway…" Increasing his volume again, "You got no problems with that, right?"

Ulquiorra looked away with uncertainty, once again keeping his thoughts to himself.

* * *

Ichigo jumped down the stairs to the training room below the abandoned warehouse and strode purposefully over to Shinji. "Hirako, I'm out of time," he said seriously as he tugged on the collar around his neck. "This thing's coming off tonight."

Shinji hopped off the rock he had been perching on with a slightly annoyed sigh. "I figured you'd say something like that." Then he gave a small shrug. "Well, whatever. You've got your techniques down, and you can at least hold your hollow form for a relatively decent amount of time. So…I'll make you a deal." He folded his arms. "If you can pass this test, I'll let you go."

Taking those words as a signal, the other vizards jumped into position, forming a circle around Ichigo.

The boy's eyes darted left and right, scanning through every one of them as his body instinctively tensed up, ready for a fight. "What do I have to do?"

"Fight all eight of us at the same time," Shinji explained. "You don't have to win. You just have to prevent us from cutting you…evade our blades until our masks fall away. If any of us draws even a single drop of your blood, you fail. And if you fail, I'm going to make you start over from the beginning…on the Shitty Hiyori Walker."

"It's the _Super_ Hiyori Walker, baldy! Get it right!" fumed the girl with short pigtails as she threw one of her sandals at Shinji's head.

Ichigo's eyes grew large. "What?! But all of you can hold your forms way longer than I can!"

"So, you better figure something out," Shinji said casually as he pulled a mask out of thin air and over his face. "Because we're not cutting you any slack."

The others followed Shinji's example, and all eight of them moved in on Ichigo in unison.

"Shit!" Calling forth his own hollow powers as quickly as possible, Ichigo took Zangetsu into his hands. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about "haired"! I'm surprised there are that many people who actually read the notes! Haha! Just to pass the info along, yes, "haired" is a word, but it should be used with a hyphen…which I've started to do in this chapter. (breathes a sigh of relief and steps on my dictionary… "Oxford dictionary my butt, you useless piece of junk!") Heh…

In the first scene of this chapter, Ulqui said to Hime, "You have no memory of your past life." That fact, unfortunately, will not change. The reason why Ulqui and Grimm were able to retrieve their memories is because they're simply dead versions of Ukita and Genji who had forgotten who they were when they lost their hearts and became hollows. They are essentially still the same people, same lifetime. However, when Orihime was reincarnated, her memories had been wiped and she started over as a clean slate, different lifetime. Reincarnation is basically the beginning of a new cycle, so she's not going to remember things from her past life. To those who may be waiting for that to happen…I'm really sorry. It's not happening. But I like to think the fact that they came back together and the feelings are still there despite her not being able to remember anything says something about the strength of their bond/relationship. Hmm…hope that made sense. Haha!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I would like to own one of those handy memory replacement devices. What's it called?

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Orihime sat curled up on the couch in her dark room. Using her folded arms as a pillow, she leaned against the armrest, staring dully at the spot where the stream of moonlight from the window hit the floor. Sleep escaped her.

After apologizing to her and holding her, Ulquiorra had simply walked out without saying another word. That had left her confused and troubled, and she hadn't been able to stop herself from thinking about it since.

Eventually, very late into the 'night' when all others were most likely asleep, Ulquiorra stepped quietly back into her room.

Orihime bolted up to her feet with anxiousness written on her features.

He remained by the door as though pondering whether or not he should get any closer before finally coming towards the center of the room. Even then, he maintained his distance and stopped on the other side of the stream of moonlight, almost treating it as a barrier between them.

With him hiding in the darkness behind the light, it made it that much harder for her to decipher his already difficult to read features. Since it appeared he was having difficulty finding his words, she decided she would speak first. "Ulquiorra…I can't forgive you."

Aside from looking away, he made no other visible response. With his hands tucked away in his pockets, he appeared as cool and collected as always. However, he would be lying if he said that didn't hurt.

Orihime heaved an exasperated breath. "Because there's nothing to forgive." She really didn't know what that was all about, and it was frustrating her to no end.

Ulquiorra took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Hime…between the time when I was a man and the time I became an arrancar, I was nothing more than a mindless beast. Over the centuries, I have consumed more souls than I can count. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," she replied firmly without hesitation. She understood that clearly. She also understood that she had everything to do with why he became that mindless beast. Was he saying that she should hold it against him?

"Even though I have regained my senses, I am still an arrancar," he continued. "If I go to the living world, Soul Society will undoubtedly pursue me. If you were to involve yourself with me, there will be no peace in your life. Has that thought occurred to you?"

"Yes," she said, more softly this time with downcast eyes.

"Time passes differently for the living and the dead. In ten years…fifty years…you will have changed while I will remain mostly the same. Can you truly accept that?"

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she could not speak. He was methodically listing out all the reasons why they shouldn't be together. It was obvious now that he wanted her to return to the living world alone.

"Things will be easier for you, and you will be able to live a normal life if we part ways," he explained. "It is only logical."

She wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed her eyes shut as tears streamed down her face. Logic be damned! She didn't care about all that, and she didn't want to hear it.

"I know this is the best solution. But despite all of it…I can't seem to prevent myself from wanting something else." Averting his eyes, he asked, "Does this make me selfish?"

Orihime looked up, her breath caught in her throat. "What are you saying?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Hime…if I wish to stay by your side…would you allow it?"

Before he knew it, she had crossed the moonlight barrier and launched herself at him. Throwing her arms around his neck, she continued to cry, though they were now tears of relief. "I don't know why you're even asking me!"

Hesitantly, Ulquiorra placed his arms around her waist, his eyes glazing over with thought. "Our lives would not have ended the way it did had I been more competent," he admitted quietly.

"I don't agree with that, but we're both here now, so what does it matter?"

"Hime…are you certain about this?"

She pulled away and wiped her tears with her sleeves. "Ulquiorra," she said as she made a small frown and held up both of her pointer fingers, placing them against her cheeks, right beneath her eyes, in imitation of the streaks on his face. When she spoke again, she mimicked the low voice of a male. "Do you always ask so many strange and irrelevant questions?"

Ulquiorra blinked once then closed his eyes with a slight smirk. "I believe you are mocking me."

Orihime chuckled lightly. "Yes. I believe I am." She pulled him into her arms once more, relishing in the feeling of contentment, allowing it to help her forget where she was, if only for a moment.

* * *

The fight in the underground training room had continued till dawn. At this point, Ichigo and Shinji were the only ones left. All of the others were already out of the fight, watching from the sidelines. As the two boys stood facing each other, their masks broke away simultaneously. The test was over.

Shinji grinned. "You really do work a lot better under pressure, don't you, Ichigo?" he said as he reviewed the boy's performance in his mind.

Despite the fact that Ichigo was not the most calculating type, he was smart enough to target Mashiro, the one who could remain in hollow form the longest, first. Though she may have the unusual ability to keep her form for hours on end, when comparing sheer power with Ichigo, she had no chance and was down for the count before long.

Then it came down to a game of high-speed tag. While using bankai, Ichigo surpassed most of them in speed, making it possible for him to cross blades with them on a one on one basis at various points in time. After a while, his number of opponents dropped one by one as some were struck out while others' masks fell away.

What was most surprising was the length of time he was able to maintain his hollow form. It had more than doubled! Shinji never thought Ichigo would outlast even Hiyori. For him to match his _own_ time was most unexpected. Then again, wasn't this the exact reason why he had scouted him out? His unbelievable ability to attain great strength in impossibly short lengths of time?

Shinji sighed and scratched his temple with his finger. "We should have done this sooner instead of waste all that time."

Ichigo raised his brows. "I passed?"

The vizard frowned. "No. Check your chest and right forearm."

Ichigo did as told and found cuts in both places. "No way! When did that…?!"

Shinji waved a dismissive hand in the air. "But since you improved your time by more than half," he drawled, " I'll let it go."

"All right!" the orange-haired boy exclaimed, ecstatic. "Now get this damn thing off of me!" he said, referring to the collar.

"Not so fast, Ichigo," Shinji said with a grin. "There's one more thing we need to discuss."

* * *

Ichigo made his way down the quiet street to Urahara Shouten that night, and the shop owner was once again waiting by the door.

"I take it you're ready to go this time?" Urahara inquired.

"Yeah," the boy replied. "And, actually…well…" He looked back over his shoulder and stepped aside just as the vizards rounded the street corner, coming into view. "They'll be coming with me."

Urahara scanned the group with his eyes from behind his fan, finally stopping at Shinji. "Well, well. When you told me that night that you would _bring_ Kurosaki-san back, I had a feeling you might pull something like this…Shinji."

The blonde-haired youth grinned widely as he stepped forth. "Perceptive as always…Urahara taichou."

"Please," the exiled shinigami said with a smirk. "It's been a long time since I'd been addressed as such."

Shinji gave a careless shrug. "It just felt nostalgic to say it."

Ichigo, for the lack of a better word, gawked. "You mean you two know each other?" With folded arms, he grumbled under his breath. "Why doesn't anybody ever tell me anything?!" He heaved a stress-relieving sigh. "Well, whatever. That makes it easier. So, Urahara-san, can they come along?"

"Of course we can," Shinji said, placing a casual hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "He needs all the help he can get. Isn't that right?" he asked, looking back at Urahara who remained studiously silent. "But let's be clear," the vizard continued. "We're not doing any of this for you. We're here to one-up Soul Society. We're going to cut in and take care of their _impending crisis_ before they even get the chance to." If possible, he grinned even wider. "There's not going to _be_ a winter war."

"Look at it as our way of giving Soul Society the finger," Hiyori put in. Just to illustrate, she and the rest of the vizards all held out an arm with their middle fingers pointing up.

Shinji adjusted the cap on his head. "From one exile to another…I'm sure you can understand."

"Perfectly," Urahara replied with a hint of a smile on his lips. "But I'm afraid your shinigami-free mission won't go exactly the way you want."

As if on cue, Rukia and Renji stepped out of the shop.

"Rukia! You made it," Ichigo exclaimed as he made his way over to them. "And Renji!"

"Of course we did," Rukia replied simply.

Renji folded his arms. "If we left it up to you, you'd probably just get yourself killed."

Ichigo glared as he simmered. Then he noticed what they were wearing and raised a questioning brow. "What's with the big cloaks?"

Rukia turned away to hide her embarrassed blush. "Shut up!"

Urahara turned back to Shinji as the trio's banter continued. "No need to worry. They're not here as representatives of Soul Society. Quite the contrary, they disobeyed orders to be here."

"Oh?" Shinji eyed the two shinigami with a bit more interest now. "Going rogue, are they? Maybe there's hope for these two," he commented with a mischievous smile.

At this point, Ishida and Sado emerged from the shop as well, joining the group. "So, is this a rescue mission or a street party?" Ishida asked with a hint of irritation. "We've wasted more than enough time as it is."

Ichigo looked at the pair with surprise. "Ishida! Chad! You're coming, too?"

Sado nodded.

Ishida adjusted his glasses. "What are you saying, Kurosaki? Of course we're coming. If we left it up to you, you'd probably just get yourself killed."

To that, Renji snickered, none too quietly.

The orange-haired youth scowled, speaking between clenched teeth. "You faithless bastards…!!"

* * *

In the training room under Urahara Shouten, everyone stared up at the rip in space that had opened up between two massive wooden beams jutting out from the rocks.

Standing atop one of the beams, Urahara spoke. "Head towards the darkness, and you will eventually reach Hueco Mundo. I wish you good luck."

At this point, Jinta tapped Kensei on the arm and shoved a backpack at him. "Here," he said without much enthusiasm. "This is for emergencies. Don't open it unless it's necessary."

Kensei accepted the bag with a frown of confusion. "Why are you giving it to _me_?"

The redheaded boy folded his arms with the grin of a smart aleck. "You look the weakest. I figured you'd probably need the extra help. Well. Gotta get back to work. Later!" That said, he turned and headed for the ladder.

Kensei glared at Jinta's retreating back but said nothing. It just wasn't worth it to get worked up over a snot-nosed brat.

Just as the group was about to get going, Ichigo suddenly remembered something. "Wait! Hirako, the collar!"

"Huh?" Shinji said as he turned around. "Oh, that. Reach to the very back of the collar," he said.

Ichigo did as instructed.

"Can you feel the latch on the top and bottom?"

"Yeah."

"Pop both latches at the same time," Shinji said, looking somewhat bored.

Ichigo did so, and the collar came right off. "What?! I thought you said _you_ were the only one who could take it off!" he fumed.

Shinji scratched his temple with a sigh of disappointment as he looked away. "I'd been wondering how long it'd take for you to figure it out. But…man, I never thought you'd be _this_ gullible."

Ichigo studied the metal collar and found an inscription on the inside. "Made in Soul Society…Bow Wow Pet Supplies…"

"That thing belonged to Shinji's dog back when he was still in Soul Society," Love supplied helpfully with more enthusiasm than necessary.

"Ah, yes," Shinji said as he placed a hand over his heart, looking to the distance in reminiscence. "She was a good dog. Seeing you wear that collar really brought back memories, Ichigo." He sniffled. "Her name was Strawberry."

"Good thing he still has it with him," Risa commented. "Otherwise we'd have to go buy a new one."

"We got better things to do with our money than buying baldy here a pet leash," Hiyori drawled.

"It's a pet collar," Rose corrected.

"You should keep it on, Berry-tan!" Mashiro exclaimed. "It makes you look cute!"

As for Hachi…he merely smiled and nodded.

Understandably, Ichigo was not the happiest person at the moment. Visibly shaking with his head down, face hidden, he hissed dangerously. "Hiiiiiiraaaaaaakoooooooo…"

Shinji grinned. "Stop wasting time, Ichigo. The sooner you get going, the sooner you can relieve all that anger." Sensing danger, he leisurely escaped into Garganta, the rest of the vizards in tow.

Ichigo, waving Zangetsu in hand, charged in after him. "You'll be the first to die, you lying son of a…!" The rest of his string of curses was swallowed up as he, too, disappeared into the portal, Sado following suit.

Renji snickered. "At least he's energetic as always."

Rukia shook her head while Ishida sighed. "Let's go," he said, and the three of them jumped in as well, the portal closing behind them.

Urahara remained on the beam, looking over the suddenly quiet and empty training room. After a while, he leaped off the beam and adjusted his hat.

Ururu approached.

"Did you bring them?" the exiled shinigami inquired.

"Yes, Kisuke-san," the girl replied shyly, handing him two small objects which he then slipped into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"I suppose it's time I get going as well." Urahara smiled down at the girl, patting her on the head. "Watch over the shop while I'm away."

"Yes, sir," she said with a bow. "Have a safe trip."

With his cane, Urahara traced a circle in the air before him as he mumbled a chant under his breath. A personal sized portal appeared, and he stepped through.

* * *

Ulquiorra stood under the window as he gazed up at the never changing moon, wondering if what he was feeling at that moment was the same as what Orihime had felt all those times she stood in the exact same spot gazing up at the moon, longing for freedom.

Freedom. It was a concept he had never given much thought to before, because it held no meaning for him. Now, however, it was something he desperately wanted. He turned his gaze over to Orihime's sleeping form on the couch. He will find a way to get that freedom for her…for all three of them.

Ulquiorra thought back to his meeting with Urahara Kisuke and Kurosaki Ichigo. He knew that the boy would definitely try to come for her. The only questions were when, and how he might be able to use that distraction and commotion to his advantage.

Then suddenly, Ulquiorra's eyes widened with a start as a powerful wave of reiatsu weighted down on him.

Sensing the reiatsu as well, Orihime's eyes shot open with a gasp. _Kurosaki-kun!_

* * *

A/N: I didn't know until someone told me that anonymous reviews were being blocked. LOL! Sorry about that. That setting has now been changed. Thanks to thenightwanderer! So, if you're not a member, I would love to hear from you as well!

Is there anyone other than myself who sees Orihime's room as lighted in their mind? There's so much white in the manga, I can't help but imagine it as being bright. But in the anime though, it looks like the moon's the only light source. I bring this up because in the first scene of this chapter, the room is supposed to be darker than usual…otherwise that whole hiding behind the moonlight thing wouldn't make any sense if it's always that dark. Haha! Oh, and if you don't get how Hime's mocking Ulqui, try checking back to chapter five. XD

There're so many characters congregating in this chapter. They're hard to keep track of. If this was an anime, I could just draw them in the background and it's taken care of. But in written form, if they don't at least say or do something, I feel like they get lost. Even after all my efforts, poor Sado still hasn't uttered a single word in my story thus far. LOL!

I've come to a point where my notes get a bit more sketchy and there are a few kinks I need to work out, so updates may be a bit more irregular from here on. Just a heads up.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I am the recent owner of an ultimately useless, almost letter-sized sheet of plastic. But since it has a pic of Ulqui and Hime on one side, Grimm and Ichigo on the other side, it was practically screaming, "Buy me! Now!" So I did.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

A portal opened up in the night sky and the group of inter-dimensional travelers dumped out of it, landing in an ungraceful pile on the white desert sand. When everyone had finally untangled themselves from each other and got back to their feet, Ichigo pushed his way through the group towards Shinji, still bent on slicing the vizard into unrecognizable bits.

Seeing the wrathful look in Ichigo's eyes, Shinji smoothly redirected his attention by pointing to something behind the boy. "Look, Ichigo!" he said with his trademark grin. "What's that over there?"

Still frowning, Ichigo turned around and saw what appeared to be a massive white castle in the distance. Momentarily awestruck by the sheer size of the building, it took a few moments for him to find his voice. "That must be that Las Noches place," he said as he recalled his conversation with Ulquiorra that night before the arrancar returned to Hueco Mundo:

_Just outside Urahara Shouten, Ulquiorra took his hand out of his pocket and lightly touched the air before him with his fingers. As the jagged Garganta appeared, the arrancar looked over his shoulder at the orange-haired boy. "When you get to Hueco Mundo, head for Las Noches. It is the largest structure in the midst of a barren wasteland. You will not miss it."_

_Being as quick minded as usual, Ichigo responded, "Huh?"_

"_You intend to come, do you not?"_

_The boy's brows furrowed with determination. "Of course!"_

"_Then those are the directions. Las Noches is where she is." With that said, Ulquiorra stepped through Garganta and disappeared._

_Ichigo stood with slacked jaws for a few seconds before deepening his scowl. "Even the way he gives directions is annoying…"_

"That's where we're going," Ichigo announced with certainty.

"How do you know?" Ishida inquired as he studied the large structure in the distance. "Urahara-san never said anything about it."

Ichigo looked away and didn't answer.

Shinji, seeing the reluctance in Ichigo's features, decided to help him out. "Well, it _is_ the only thing within sight around here. It's at least a good place to start. Better than aimlessly wandering the desert."

"That's true enough," Ishida agreed.

"All in favor of going to the white thing?" Hiyori drawled as she raised a hand in the air with a bored sigh.

The rest of the group looked at one another as they took a moment to make their decisions. In the end, it was unanimous and everyone raised his or her hand.

"Settled," Hiyori said. "Let's go." Without waiting for a response, the girl took off. If she let them, they'd probably take all day to decide on anything.

Wordlessly, the rest of the team followed, heading for Las Noches.

* * *

Sensing an approaching reiatsu, Ulquiorra opened the door to find a breathless Menoli coming down the hall.

When the arrancar girl reached the doorway, her eyes caught sight of Orihime sitting on the couch within the room. Ignoring the human girl, she turned her attention to her superior, bowing slightly. "Ulquiorra-sama, Aizen-sama has called a meeting with all members of the Espada. Your presence is required at the war room immediately."

Ulquiorra merely nodded and waved a hand in dismissal. By the time he closed the door and turned around, Orihime was already standing in front of him with an anxious look on her face.

"What should we do?" she asked.

"I must attend the meeting. It would be unwise for us to make a move at this point and reveal our intentions without having a better grasp on the situation." He placed his hands on either side of her arms as though to help keep her steady. "I will return as soon as possible with information."

She nodded as she took a shaky breath.

He placed a hand on her cheek. "Be careful."

She placed her hand over his. "Be safe."

Reluctantly, he pulled away and left the room.

* * *

Aizen sat at the head of the table with Ichimaru and Tousen standing behind him on either side. All members of the Espada had already gathered around the table, currently watching an image of the invading group running through the desert.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Ishida Uryuu. Sado Yasutora." A close-up of each of the teens appeared on the image as Aizen listed them off. "Together with Inoue Orihime, these four individuals were the ryoka who invaded Seireitei just recently, causing quite an uproar. Though they may be humans, they are not to be underestimated." He paused briefly as his eyes scanned across the table at all his subordinates. "Among the group, there are two shinigami." The image zoomed in on the pair. "Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji, who is a lieutenant. We currently have no information on the remaining members of the group. However, they are not to be taken lightly either."

Though Aizen said as much, the youth with blonde hair did seem somewhat familiar to him somehow. However, with that cap obscuring the top half of the boy's face, the ex-shinigami couldn't really see him all too clearly.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, recognized Shinji almost immediately. As much as he hated to admit it, if Ulquiorra hadn't stopped their fight that day, he most likely would have died at Shinji's hands. Though Grimmjow may not know anything else about the vizard, he knew for sure that the guy was powerful. Nonetheless, he wasn't about to share any of that information with the great and wonderful Aizen.

Seeing Ichigo's face in the image and feeling his reiatsu getting closer by the second was stirring up a bit of a conflict within Grimmjow's mind. On one hand, he really, _really_ wanted to fight him and settle the score. On the other hand, his own situation had changed. It would certainly be beneficial to Ulquiorra, Orihime, and himself to just let Ichigo wreak some havoc in this place. Then again, when was he ever the one to think rationally? That was Ulquiorra's department. Looking across the table, Grimmjow found the fourth Espada sitting there, stoic as ever, not letting on whatever it was that might be going through his mind.

"Return to your respective domains and prepare for battle," Aizen instructed. "Gin will send the intruders to you."

"Just leave it ta me," Gin said, a sly grin on his face. He did so love hallway manipulation.

"That will be all," Aizen said as he stood up, paternal smile in place. "I wish you all an enjoyable encounter." With that said, he walked gracefully out of the room.

Once the ex-shinigami disappeared, everyone else got up as well and dispersed. Some cheered, welcoming the action, while a few others complained. Most, however, kept their thoughts to themselves.

Out in the hallway, Grimmjow leisurely and inconspicuously caught up to Ulquiorra. "Forget finding another way," he said quietly as they fell into step with each other. "I think another way just found us. I'll tell ya straight, Ulquiorra. I'm itchin' to fight that shinigami punk. But…" He gave the fourth Espada a sideways glance. "What are you going to do?"

Ulquiorra gave no response. Everything was suddenly happening all at once. He needed to think fast.

* * *

At long last, the merry little group had finally made it to the walls of Las Noches. Currently, they were all standing in a row, staring silently and thoughtfully at said structure.

Looking to the right…there was nothing but wall for miles and miles.

Turning to the left…wall again as far as the eyes could see.

Tilting their heads up…even more wall.

There were no doors, no windows. Just wall.

Before the pondering could drag on much longer, Hiyori raised her hand in the air. "All in favor of cutting through the white thing?"

Twelve hands joined hers in the air almost immediately.

"Settled," she drawled then pointed to Ichigo. "Baldy, get to work."

Normally, Ichigo would have taken offense, but this kind of thing was right up his alley. After three solid swings with his zanpakutou, he had cut them an entryway into Las Noches.

Then after running through the seemingly miles-thick wall, the team eventually found themselves in a circular room with multiple doorways leading out of it. Eleven, to be exact. And if anyone had doubts before about whether or not they had come to the right place, the massive reiatsu that could now be felt laid all those thoughts to rest.

The group formed a circle at the center of the room, facing outward towards the doorways that were now surrounding them, silent once more.

"We should split up," Rukia suggested before another round of pondering could start up again.

Ichigo's blood froze. "What?! No! That's crazy! We're up against the Espada here!"

"Yeah, but we're not exactly chopped liver," Shinji chimed in, half bored, half offended.

By now, everyone had turned around to face each other in the circle.

"Rukia's right," Renji added. "Moving as one group would take too long. Splitting up would be more efficient."

"It's more risky, but…it _would_ improve our chances of finding Inoue-san," Ishida mused almost to himself, one hand on his chin.

"Yeah, but still…!" Ichigo tried again.

"All in favor of moving as a mass?" Hiyori asked as she folded her arms, annoyed that she had to keep doing this in order to keep things moving.

Ichigo's arm shot into the air. Just his. "Damn it!"

"Settled," Hiyori voiced one last time. "We split on the count of three. One…"

Shinji grinned. "See you all on the other side."

"Two…"

Ichigo scowled. "Don't any of you dare die!"

"THREE!"

The circle broke as everyone whirled around and rushed through the doorway directly behind them.

* * *

Orihime paced restlessly back and forth, playing with her fingers nervously. She could feel her nakama drawing near. Things were about to happen and, as much as she wanted to help, she was completely helpless.

Though she was overjoyed that they had come for her, she would never be able to forgive herself if anything should happen to any of them because of it. Then there were Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. She didn't even want to think what would happen if all the important people in her life were to end up fighting each other. And didn't Grimmjow still have a grudge against Kurosaki-kun? What if they ended up killing each other?!

She stopped. She was thinking too much, and her mind was a jumbled mess. Leaning a hand and her forehead against the wall under the window, she tried to calm herself with a deep breath.

Then she perked up at the sound of her door opening and turned around. However, the one standing at her doorway was not the one she was expecting.

Aizen smiled at the perturbed girl. "Orihime…would you please come with me?"

* * *

After running through a long and winding hallway, Shinji entered a large room with a high ceiling and no windows. Upon seeing the man whom stood guard in that room, the vizard couldn't help but grin. "Tousen Kaname… You know, I was rather surprised when I found out you were with Aizen. Especially since how you would always go _on_ and _on_ and _on_ with your justice talk and what not." He scratched his head and frowned at the rather irksome memory. "Used to always put me to sleep…"

Tousen's brows furrowed in slight confusion. He did not recognize this person's voice. "Who are you?"

The grin now gone from his features, Shinji merely replied, "It doesn't matter." He unsheathed his zanpakutou and moved in to attack. It wasn't like he were here to reminisce old times anyway.

* * *

It wasn't until he arrived at his destination that Love realized he had been followed. "Rose? What are you doing here?"

"Since we have more people than there were doorways," the blonde explained, trying not to roll his eyes, "obviously, some of us will be moving in pairs."

At the other end of the room, they saw a man sitting on the floor with his back up against the wall and his head hanging. Paying closer attention, they were even able to pick up the sound of a snore or two.

"Is that guy supposed to be the guard?" Love asked as he jabbed a thumb towards the sleeping man.

"Who knows?" Rose sighed. "But since the gentleman seems to be resting, let's not bother him and move on," he said, pointing to a door not too far away from the unconscious guard.

The pair made their way across the room and, just as they were about to exit, a Cero cut across their path, forcing both to leap back.

The guard stretched his arms and yawned. "Thanks for the concern. Well…it's a bother, but…I can't let you pass."

"HA! HA!" Love exclaimed as he pointed dramatically at the man. "You haven't realized it yet, but…you are already dying."

The man frowned in query. "Come again?"

Rose's hand met his forehead with yet another sigh. "If you're going to quote a manga line, at least use it at a more appropriate time."

Running a hand through his hair with a tired sigh, the man got to his feet. "Great. Not only do I have to deal with two intruders, they have to be weird ones." Looking back at the pair with more seriousness now, he introduced himself. "The name's Stark. Let's get this thing over with, shall we?"

* * *

After running through a hallway, up a flight of stairs, and across a bridge under an indoor blue sky, Rukia found herself in darkness once more. It was quiet, and every step she took echoed through the emptiness around her. With one hand on the hilt of her blade, she proceeded with caution until someone called out to her.

"Yo, Kuchiki! Long time no see."

Alarmed, she turned around at the sound of that unforgettable voice from her distant memory. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight she was met with. "Kaien…dono…"

* * *

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

All right. Admittedly, that was not the manliest battle cry for a lieutenant class shinigami. Then again, falling down a hole wasn't really considered a battle situation. How was Renji supposed to know that the floor would just suddenly open up and drop him down a tunnel?

Eventually, the tunnel came to an end and dumped him into a room. When Renji picked himself up off the floor, he came face to face with a pink-haired man.

Peering at him through the frames of his glasses, said man was currently sizing him up while wearing one of the most sadistic grins Renji had ever seen.

* * *

Mashiro looked over her shoulder with a pout as she continued to run. "Haaaachiiii!" she whined. "Stop following me! Mashiro wants to play by herself!"

Hachigen paid no heed to her nonstop complaints. However, when they at last reached their destination, he found himself a nice corner and planted his bottom on the floor. "No need to get upset. I'll just sit here."

"Good!" the girl said as she folded her arms, still scowling at the big guy. "I don't want you spoiling my fun."

"One who does not take this battle seriously has no business being here," said a voice from behind the girl.

Mashiro turned around, blinking innocently as Zommari Leroux approached.

* * *

Hiyori sauntered into the large room with her hands in her pockets and saw a lone old man sitting in the middle with his eyes closed and his legs crossed. She came to a stop, eyeing him for a moment. "Yo, gramps. Don't tell me you're supposed to be my opponent or something."

"Am I not good enough for you, brat?" the old man inquired as he slowly opened his eyes and stared at the girl.

If that look was meant to intimidate, it had absolutely no effect on the cocky young vizard. "Just don't want anyone sayin' I'm disrespecting the old, that's all."

"Aren't you already doing it by running your mouth?" he retorted.

Hiyori grinned. "Well, if you think I've already crossed the line, then…guess there's no point in holdin' back now, is there?" She unsheathed her zanpakutou as her mask began to materialize on her face.

* * *

On the desert sand under a false blue sky, Risa and Nnoitora stood motionless with folded arms, staring each other down with displeased frowns on their features. The glaring contest had actually been going on for quite some time now.

Eventually, the fifth Espada spoke. "Che. Can't believe I waited this long just to fight some chick." Then his frown turned into a grin as his eye traveled down the length of her body. "Well, at least you're easy on the eye."

"I, however, can not say the same for you," Risa responded dryly, completely unfazed by his lecherous behavior. "I was hoping to fight someone who's at _least_ marginally good looking. But what do I get? A creep who can't even measure up to the third-rate characters in the books I read." If this were a contest to see who could be the most condescending, Risa would be taking the lead at this point.

Nnoitora frowned. "I don't know what you're blabbering about, but that sure as hell sounded like an insult."

She sighed. "And he's stupid, too."

He laughed a menacing low laugh, his eye narrowing in fury as he held his arm up above his head and began to spin his zanpakutou by the chain. "I'm definitely going to enjoy hacking you to pieces."

* * *

Just looking at his opponent was enough to burden Kensei with a sense of extreme discomfort. Was it because of the awesomely oppressive reiatsu? No. It wasn't that. In fact, he was pretty sure it was because of her clothes…or perhaps, the lack thereof…at least in the area where he strongly believed clothes were originally invented to cover up. How was he supposed to fight properly when he was being…distracted?!

Halibel, however, was completely at ease as she gracefully reached behind her back and pulled her blade out of its sheath. Words were unnecessary at this point. She simply moved, closing in on her opponent.

As Kensei took up his stance, even though he knew this was the beginning of a serious battle to the death, the vizard couldn't help but wonder…with what she was wearing, how was she going to keep 'certain things' from revealing themselves while engaging in battle?

He gave himself a mental slap. _Damn distractions!_ He sighed. The fight was already beginning to feel long, and they haven't even crossed blades, yet…

* * *

As soon as Yammy saw who walked into his domain, he simply laughed out loud. "I remember you. Didn't get enough the first time and had to come back for more, huh?"

"I think you will find I am much stronger than before," Sado replied calmly.

"Hope so," the bulky arrancar sneered. "Or else, this is gonna be real short." Without warning, he shot a Bala.

Sado dodged.

Their battle began.

* * *

Ichigo felt like he had been running forever. Only now did a doorway appear at the end, casting a ray of bright light into the dark hallway. _This is it!_

Drawing his zanpakutou, he leaped into the room and… "Eh?"

The orange-haired youth was met with emptiness.

* * *

Ishida stood in the midst of silence as his eyes scanned the room his path had led him to. _Strange…I thought for sure there'd be someone here…_

* * *

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow walked briskly down the hallway with purposeful strides, heading for Orihime's room.

"I thought you said you wanted to fight Kurosaki Ichigo," the fourth Espada commented.

Grimmjow grumbled with agitation. "Shut up! I'll deal with him when this is over!"

With everyone too occupied to pay them much attention, the two of them would go get Orihime, find the hougyoku, and leave Hueco Mundo. While this was not what Ulquiorra would consider a well thought out plan…in fact, it could hardly even be considered a plan at all…he also knew that this kind of opportunity was not going to present itself again. They had to act now.

Arriving at Orihime's room, they opened the door only to find the girl missing.

The first person that came to Grimmjow's mind as the most likely suspect was Nnoitora. However, that wasn't possible, because he could sense the fifth Espada's reiatsu at the other end of Las Noches, already in the midst of battle. "Who could've…?"

Ulquiorra stood rooted to the floor, keeping that sense of panic at bay as he tried to think through this logically. "Aizen-sama has her," he finally concluded as the ex-shinigami's casual comment about using Orihime as bait returned to him.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes, a small contemplative frown on his features. _Bait… If not for Kurosaki Ichigo, then…who?_

* * *

The sound of his clogs echoed through the grand halls at a slow and steady pace as Urahara Kisuke approached the throne room. Upon entry, the exiled shinigami found none other than Aizen himself standing in the middle of the room with Orihime standing in front of him.

With one hand clamped down on the girl's shoulder, holding her in place, Aizen held his zanpakutou to her throat with the other. "I have been waiting for you, Urahara," he greeted with a smile. "Welcome to Las Noches."

With his eyes still hidden behind his hat, Urahara spoke. "It has been a while, hasn't it…Sousuke?" Lifting his head to look the other man in the eye, he revealed a pair of glasses on his face.

Aizen's brows creased in slight confusion.

"Like the new look?" Urahara asked with a grin as he readjusted the frames on the bridge of his nose. "I made them just for you. Wouldn't want any hallucinations to get in the way of a proper reunion now, would we?"

Aizen smirked. "I see. So, I take it those glasses are a countermeasure to my bankai."

Urahara snapped his fingers. "Correct!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"It's nothing fancy, really," the exiled shinigami said with a shrug. "The glass just refracts light a bit differently and acts as a filter to everything I see is all." Seeing that Aizen wasn't going to respond, he continued. "Well, since we're in the mode of pleasantries…how is it coming?" he asked as he gave a knowing grin. "The hougyoku's awakening."

* * *

A/N: Ok, about all the fights…I have decided that, aside from the couple of key battles, I won't be going into them in detail. There are many reasons. One, I feel it would be branching out too far from the main plot of the story. Two, most of these characters' abilities are currently still unknown. Three, there are like…over 10 different battles! It would be brutal to write and probably difficult to have to read. LOL!

At the same time, however, I also feel that just briefly summarizing them with a few sentences seems a bit lacking and not enough. So, I am employing what I call the "keeping tabs" method where I basically keep track of where everyone is without getting into the fights too much. I hope that will be a happy medium. Well, you can tell me when this is all over whether you thought it worked or not. Heh…

So, if you were worried about having to read through a bazillion fights, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Haha!

OMG! Sado spoke! LOL!

"…how was she going to keep 'certain things' from revealing themselves while engaging in battle?" That's my burning question for Halibel. It looks like just by simply raising her arms, things will start falling out all over the place. LOL!

Thanks again for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. That's all.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Shinji sheathed his blade as Tousen fell face first to the floor.

The blind ex-captain was still in a bit of a shock over how quickly he had lost. His opponent moved with such speed that he never even had a chance to use his bankai. What confused him more was the youth's reiatsu. It was similar to that of an arrancar's but…not quite. Though he tried, he simply couldn't figure out who this person was. "Who are you?" he asked one last time with labored breathing.

"Didn't I already tell you?" Shinji said, his voice lacking the usual quality of humor. "It doesn't matter."

As Tousen listened to the sound of retreating footsteps, he couldn't help but laugh humorlessly at himself. Tousen Kaname, the former captain of Division Nine, was about to breathe his last breath without even knowing the identity of the man who cut him down. After all that he had done, it would seem he didn't really accomplish much of anything. _Did I really…choose the right path…?_

* * *

Kensei was…not doing so well. He would very much like to blame his current predicament on various distractions, but that would be a downright lie. Truthfully, he had forgotten all about the distractions the second their blades met. Halibel's strength and skills were so overwhelming that the only thing he _could_ focus on was survival. If he weren't so busy trying to prevent himself from getting any more cuts than he already had, he'd be impressed. 

He dodged another swing of her zanpakutou but somehow misread her kick and ended up taking a hard hit in the gut that dropped him down on one knee. With one hand on the floor and the other one on his abdomen, he tried to will the pain to subside.

"Give it up, boy," Halibel stated impassively. "You're no match for me."

Kensei almost rolled his eyes. He had pretty much already figured that out by now, but he wasn't just going to roll over and die for her.

"Then perhaps I might be able to give you a better fight."

Both vizard and arrancar were looking around for the source of the voice when a black cat popped its head over Kensei's shoulder. "Thanks for the ride, kid."

The vizard, for the lack of a better word, freaked out, unable to believe what was actually in the so-called emergency backpack. "AH! A talking cat!"

When said talking cat suddenly transformed into a woman…a very naked woman…still clamped onto his back, Kensei all but blanched. Shaking himself free, he took several steps away and gaped at her like a fish out of water. "Who the…?! More importantly, where the heck are your clothes?!"

Yoruichi, with one hand on her hip, replied with nonchalance. "Why would a cat be wearing clothes?"

"Bu…but…" Kensei stuttered as he slipped off the backpack to see if the emergency cat came with any accessories. When he found the bag empty, he threw it to the floor. "Oh, hell!" He pulled his tank top over his head and tossed it over to Yoruichi. "Have some decency!" he hollered. "What's _wrong_ with you women?!" He pointed at both of them in turn.

Yoruichi sighed as she slipped the shirt over her head. It was just barely long enough to cover all the necessary areas and prevent the boy from having a heart attack. "Are you the innocent boy scout type, too, like Ichigo?"

"Shut up!" the vizard yelled, obviously still flustered. "That's none of your business!"

Halibel, who had been watching Yoruichi with scrutiny, narrowed her eyes in recognition. "Shihouin Yoruichi. Yes, I believe you would be a more worthy opponent."

Yoruichi turned her eyes to the arrancar with a smirk. "So, it seems I don't need to introduce myself. That makes things easier."

"I am Halibel of the Espada."

"A pleasure."

That said, both women disappeared from sight as their battle commenced.

* * *

To Renji, fighting was supposed to be about…well, fighting. The physical motion, the strength, the battle cries, the sweat, and the excitement that came with it. So, when he realized that the eighth Espada was the meticulous type that liked to talk nonstop about data and statistics while they were fighting, he couldn't help but feel disgruntled. But what pissed Renji off more than having to fight a data and statistics guy, was to be losing to one. 

To top it off, the guy had already declared himself bored and was now leaving the rest to his group of demented-looking followers. He called them fractions…or fatsoes…or whatever. Renji didn't really have time for that right now. He was about to get pounded into the floor by one such follower after all.

Then a bright white arrow came out of nowhere and took down the big guy, saving Renji's hide in the process.

Standing in the opening he had just created in the wall, Ishida smirked. "Looking a bit worse for wear there, aren't you…Abarai Renji."

* * *

"Let me guess…the progress of the hougyoku's awakening is slowly but surely coming to a stop," Urahara said, grinning at Aizen's silence. "You can't figure it out, can you? The last step required in order for the hougyoku to fully awaken. Well, I suppose I _did_ put a rather heavy seal on it. Without the proper chant…which I keep stored up here," he said as he tapped a finger on his temple, "it will never awaken." 

Aizen frowned at Urahara's smug look. Then he smiled. "My dear Orihime," he began, addressing the girl standing in front of him. "Did you know that, from the very beginning, the one who truly wanted to use you and your god-defying powers was not myself but Urahara Kisuke?" he asked with that voice filled with feigned gentleness.

Orihime, with Aizen's zanpakutou still at her throat, gasped lightly in surprise as she looked questioningly over to Urahara whose smug look had disappeared, replaced by an uncharacteristically solemn glare towards Aizen.

Satisfied with that look on the exiled shinigami's face, Aizen continued. "It's the truth. Do you know why? Because you, and only you, have the ability to erase the hougyoku from existence. Only you, Orihime, have the power to correct what he considers to be his greatest mistake. And do you know what else? If you reject the hougyoku…you could die."

Hesitantly, Orihime spoke up. "Urahara-san had…mentioned the possibility…"

Aizen raised a brow in amusement, eyes still on Urahara. "I'm surprised he told you as much. However, it is not just a possibility. The chances of your survival are so miniscule that death is practically a certainty. Urahara knows this. Yet, here he is…in person…trying to take you back so he can solve his problem at your expense."

Orihime looked to Urahara for answers, but when the man only looked back at her, wordless and expressionless, her own expression saddened.

At this point, Aizen brought his blade closer to Orihime's throat. "Tell me what I want to know, Urahara."

Urahara adjusted his hat and smirked. "Now, why would I go and do a foolish thing like that? If I told you, I'd lose. But if I don't…then even if you do kill Inoue-san…it would still be a wash, and neither of us gets what we want."

Orihime couldn't believe how her life was being taken so lightly.

Aizen smiled. "Not so. Perhaps you should think of it this way… Even if you don't tell me anything today, in time, I will eventually find the answer on my own. However, without Orihime, you will lose your only hope of ever destroying the hougyoku. Are you prepared to part with that hope?"

Urahara narrowed his eyes. "Say what you want, Sousuke. I will not help you."

"Shall we put that resolve to the test?" Aizen inquired as he slid his blade ever so lightly and painfully slow across Orihime's throat.

The girl clenched her teeth and inhaled sharply to the pain, backing her head further into Aizen's chest in her futile attempt to get away. Blood began to drip down her neck, soaking into the collar of her white dress.

"Stop!" Urahara called out reflexively.

"The chant, Urahara," Aizen said, his fake smile discarded.

The exiled shinigami clenched his fist.

"Now," Aizen demanded firmly as he continued to drag his blade along Orihime's throat, causing her to moan with pain.

In that instant, Ulquiorra appeared via Sonido, materializing down on one knee in front of Orihime. Taking hold of her hand, he slipped something on around her wrist.

Orihime's eyes widened as she recognized the bracelet. It was the one Ulquiorra made her wear at the time of her capture. The one with the power to put up a spiritual shell around her, making her invisible and undetectable by all except arrancars. The one that allowed her to pass through solid objects at will. _That means…Aizen can't see me right now!_

It was only for a moment but, as Orihime vanished from Aizen's sight, his shocked eyes met Ulquiorra's unreadable ones. However, before the ex-shinigami even had time to process what had just occurred, he had to react to an attack that came in from his side in the form of Grimmjow's flying kick, aiming straight for his head.

As Aizen stepped back to evade, Ulquiorra tugged on Orihime's wrist and pulled her harmlessly right through Aizen's zanpakutou.

Then, as quickly as they had arrived, the two Espadas disappeared in the blink of an eye, taking Orihime with them.

Urahara wasted no time either. With Orihime safely out of Aizen's grasp, he moved in, calling Benihime's name as he rushed forth.

Aizen blocked the sudden attack with his own blade.

Urahara grinned. "Now, let's get this reunion started, shall we?"

They pushed and jumped back away from each other before diving in with their blades once more.

* * *

When they were at a safe distance away, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow stopped running. 

Ulquiorra, who had been carrying Orihime in his arms, placed her feet back on the floor. Then, with both hands reaching for her neck, he began to quietly inspect her wound as gently as possible.

Orihime watched him for a moment before placing her hands over his. She could read the guilt in his eyes as plain as day. "It's all right," she assured softly with a smile. "I'll be fine." Calling forth her powers, she had herself healed in no time.

"Damn it!" Grimmjow exclaimed as he paced around in frustration. "I was _this_ close to landing a kick on that bastard's face! Can't believe he dodged it!"

At this point, Ulquiorra noticed something in the sexta Espada's hand. "Grimmjow. What is that?"

Grimmjow studied the black rectangular object in his hand with mild curiosity. "Don't know. That Urahara guy threw it at me back there. I thought it was a weapon, but…guess not."

"It looks kind of like a remote control or something," Orihime said as she took the object from Grimmjow's hand to get a better look at it. There really was just one button on the thing, so she pushed it and suddenly a mini holographic image of Urahara's grinning face surrounded by tiny spinning hearts popped up, hovering just inches above the device.

The trio shared a moment of silence as they stared speechlessly at the image, each absorbed in his or her own thoughts.

Grimmjow: _What the hell?!_

Ulquiorra: _So, this is the kind of trash the greatest inventor Soul Society has ever known spends his time creating…_

Orihime: "This is so cool!!!"

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra shared a glance. Well…at least _somebody_ appreciated it.

"And it's so cute!" the girl's outburst continued. "Look at his face! And the hearts!! I wonder what it's for? Ulquiorra, what do you think?" As she turned to face the fourth Espada, the holographic grinning Urahara was replaced by a frowning Urahara, complete with animated tears shooting from his eyes.

Seeing this, Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes slightly as he took the device from Orihime and started pointing it in different directions. As he had suspected, only in one direction would the grinning face show up. "It appears to be a homing device."

Orihime gasped in realization. "It must be pointing to the hougyoku!"

"Most likely," Ulquiorra agreed.

Then a voice spoke up from behind them. "So, what might you two be doing all the way out here? Aren't you a bit far from your posts?"

The trio froze.

Grimmjow was the first to turn around, eyes glaring at the man at the other end of the hallway. "Ichimaru Gin…"

Ulquiorra slipped the device back into Orihime's hand and mouthed a 'stand back' before calmly turning to face Gin as well.

Then Orihime remembered. _That's right…he can't see me…_ Nonetheless, she backed away as quietly as possible.

"Grimmjow I can understand," said the perpetually grinning shinigami. "But Ulquiorra-kun not following orders…now, that's a surprise."

Ulquiorra kept his eyes on the shinigami but ignored his comments. "Grimmjow. I believe you wanted a fight."

Beside Ulquiorra, Grimmjow broke into his widest grin as he unsheathed his zanpakutou, eyes trained on Gin as well. "Hell yeah."

That said, the pair charged in unison.

As Orihime watched the battle, she was reminded once again of how everyone was fighting and doing their part. She couldn't just stand by and wait to be saved. She had to do whatever she could. Clutching the homing device tight in her hands, she turned around and ran down the hall. _I'll find the hougyoku!_

* * *

Hiyori breathed heavily as she took a look at herself. She was so covered in her own blood that she couldn't even tell where one wound ended and the next began. 

She glanced over at her opponent who was simply standing there watching her. _The old man doesn't look much better._

It was true that they had both sustained heavy damage, but if the vizard were honest with herself, she would have noted that while the arrancar's body was covered with cuts, hers looked as though it had been through a meat grinder.

The strength in her legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees, planting the tip of her blade into the floor to keep herself upright. _Ok, maybe he's slightly better off._ After all, he was still standing and not using his zanpakutou as a crutch.

Hiyori coughed up blood and placed a hand over her mouth. _Fine…he's a lot better off…_ Nonetheless, that didn't necessarily mean she had lost.

With her eyes on her target, she tried to get back to her feet, but it was useless. Before long, her vision blurred and she collapsed completely to the floor.

Fatigued from battle, the oldest member of the Espada walked up to the girl as he brandished his weapon, ready to bring it to an end. "For a loud-mouthed brat, you put up a good fight. I commend you for lasting this long."

Just as the arrancar swung his blade, Shinji appeared out of nowhere and blocked with his own, placing himself between the old man and his nakama.

"I'm sorry," the youth said with utmost sincerity, taking the arrancar by surprise. The old man was obviously worn from battle, and Shinji hated stepping in at this point like he was trying to take advantage of the situation. However, this was war, and his personal code of honor had to take a back seat when Hiyori's life was on the line. Without another moment of hesitation, he swung his blade and cut his enemy down.

With the immediate danger dealt with, Shinji turned around and scooped the girl up into his arms. In her current condition, she really did seem like just a fragile child.

"Put me down, baldy," she protested weakly. "I can walk."

Shinji heaved an internal sigh. "Stop being a stubborn idiot."

"I don't want the others seeing me like this, dumbass…"

"What're you talking about?" he retorted, though softly. "Getting a wound in battle is like getting some badge of courage. And you just got enough to last ya three lifetimes."

She glared at him, unconvinced, but didn't have the strength to argue.

"Just sleep already. I'll take it from here."

She passed out before he was even finished.

With Hiyori in his arms, Shinji moved on. He could sense all the battles that were being waged in this place. _I'm close. I better move faster._

* * *

A/N: Thanks once again for favs, alerts, and especially reviews! 

I'm giving Ichigo a slight break, so Kensei's temporarily taking on the abuse in this chapter. Though I suspect most guys probably wouldn't really mind being in his situation. LOL!

And Tousen, no, you didn't choose the right path. You suck. That's why I'm killing you off first. Is it obvious I don't like him much? Haha!

The homing device was the gadget that Urahara was working on in his lab back in chapter 8. His comment then was "…it seems to be missing some love." So, adding the spinning hearts was his idea of improving it. LOL!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own a Bleach artbook.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

Aaroniero Arruruerie, already in his released state, held Nejibana in one hand, poised to strike.

Though Rukia went through the motions of defending herself, all she did was exactly just that: go through the motions. The moment the ninth Espada confirmed that what she saw before her was indeed the spirit body of Shiba Kaien, she had lost all will to fight.

Nejibana came thrusting.

Sode no Shirayuki snapped uselessly into two.

Nejibana pierced through the abdomen of Sode no Shirayuki's master.

Zangetsu made an unexpected entrance and came swinging from the side, swiftly returning the favor to Nejibana, slicing the arrogant trident in half.

As Rukia fell backwards, she could hear Ichigo hollering her name.

Ichigo, with his hands full trying to prevent the arrancar's numerous lashing tentacles from reaching Rukia, was unable to help break her fall. When the injured shinigami crashed to the floor, he turned his glaring eyes to the ninth Espada.

The orange-haired boy froze as he finally got a good look at his enemy for the first time.

Aaroniero, too, was slightly taken aback by the near mirror image that was now floating in mid-air before him. Kurosaki Ichigo. This was the first time he'd ever seen the boy close enough to note the striking resemblance. That shock, however, soon turned into a grin as he eyed the shinigami lying on the floor. "Oi, Kuchiki. Did you really miss me so much that you went and found yourself a stand-in?" He snickered. "How pathetic."

Rukia winced as she pulled the broken weapon out of her body and tossed it aside. Even as her breathing became more and more labored, she still spared the strength to glare up at the Espada. Her wound, while not deep enough to be life threatening, was severe enough to prevent her from continuing on with the fight.

Understandably, Ichigo was thrown into confusion. Not only did this guy look like him, he talked as though he knew Rukia. Then suddenly, these thoughts triggered a memory…something Byakuya had said on the night that they first met. _Is this the guy Byakuya was talking about? The guy I was supposed to look like?_ "Who are you?" he demanded with a scowl.

Aaroniero returned his attention to the boy. "What kind of replacement are you if you don't even know the name of the man she admires?" he sneered. "I am the great Shiba Kaien!" he announced, jabbing a thumb towards himself.

If Ichigo was confused before, his head was reeling by now. "Sh…Shiba?! Then you're…Ganju's…?!"

Ichigo looked over his shoulder at Rukia. While most things didn't make sense, others started to fall into place. The man that he resembled, the man who must have played a significant enough role in Rukia's life for Byakuya to mention that night…was also the man that she had killed. With this newfound knowledge, Ichigo realized that, to Rukia, this was more than just a fight against an enemy. It was a fight against her own demons.

He turned his eyes back to the arrancar. This was definitely an impostor. Shiba Kaien was dead. Ganju told him all about it. Nonetheless, whatever happened here between this impostor and Rukia had been enough to break her spirit. He could see it in her eyes. It was like she wanted to die.

Ichigo held up his zanpakutou, pointing it straight at Aaroniero. "Rukia!" he said, addressing the girl behind him while still watching his enemy like a hawk. "I'll be your arms and legs and fight in your place," he explained calmly with a serious scowl. "But this is your fight, so…I'll do it your way. If you want to cut him…I'll do it. If you want to let him cut you…I'll take it."

Rukia's eyes widened, and she nearly forgot to breathe. _What?!_

"Whatever you want," Ichigo said as he placed a hand lightly against his forehead, reaching for the soon-to-materialize mask. "Just give the word, and I'll do it."

As this short exchange was taking place, Aaroniero took the opportunity to slither his tentacles across the floor and collect the broken pieces of Nejibana, reabsorbing them back into his body. Moments later, the trident reemerged from the top of the slimy creature's massive form, whole once more. The ninth Espada plucked the weapon out of his own flesh, twirling it in one hand as he frowned at the boy. "Oi, oi! Don't talk like you're the one in control here, kid." He smirked. "Whether she wants it or not, I'm going to skewer you alive!"

Pulling the mask over his face while simultaneously commanding Zangetsu to transform into it's sleeker form, Ichigo prepared himself as the force of over thirty thousand hollows came at him.

* * *

The sound of clashing metal rang through the throne room. Even with his zanpakutou's release practically sealed, Aizen was still getting the upper hand. The ex-shinigami couldn't help but smirk. "There may have been a time when you were the stronger one, Urahara," he said as they continued to swing their blades. "But…not anymore."

Grudgingly, Urahara had to admit that there was truth in those words. Being out of action for over a century would do that to someone. It also didn't help when the one he was up against was a power-hungry bastard who spent that same century building his already incredible strength.

"Guess that just means it's time for me to step in."

Both Aizen and Urahara paused in mid-strike and turned their heads to find a newcomer standing casually at the entryway with a grin on his face.

Urahara did a sudden mood swing, reverting to his usual semi-annoying cheeriness. "Shinji! You made it!"

Shinji, after taking one last glance at the unconscious Hiyori lying in the hallway, stepped into the room, glowering at Urahara. "Shut up, you manipulative bastard. Using us as a distraction while you come for the prize on your own. Why am I not surprised?" he griped.

"Come now. I knew you'd get here before the fun was over," the exiled shinigami grinned. "I'm so touched that you came for me!" he added with an extra dose of vexation-provoking joyfulness in his voice.

"Like heck I did!" Shinji said, pointing his still sheathed zanpakutou at Urahara. "If I let you have him, then I'd be forking all my gloating power in front of Soul Society over to you. That ain't happening."

Urahara feigned disappointment with a slight sniffle. "That's cold, Shinji…"

At this point, it finally dawned on Aizen just who this blond-haired youth was. "Hirako-kun…"

The other two stopped their argument, turning their attention to their foe.

Aizen closed his eyes and laughed lightly. "I see. Even after being exiled, you still came to Urahara's aid. You are quite the loyal one, Hirako-kun."

Shinji frowned and looked away as he began to pick at his ear with his pinky. "Did ya go deaf in the last few centuries or something?" he drawled. "He's got nothing to do with it."

Aizen turned to Urahara, ignoring Shinji's comment. "You must be regretting…choosing me over him as your lieutenant, all those years ago."

Urahara glared from the shadows of his hat, his mood swinging back to seriousness once more. "A mistake I will now correct."

"If it's any consolation, I would have eventually gained access to all your research anyway," Aizen said, smiling smugly. "Being your lieutenant just made it easier."

Having heard enough, Shinji used shunpo to get behind Aizen, making a horizontal sweep with his blade. However, his target evaded with a shunpo of his own.

"I didn't come here to hear you brag," the vizard said, his mask already in place. "Let's get this over with."

The battle resumed as three blades clashed.

* * *

Zommari was in disbelief. Even in his released state, he had lost the battle. Perhaps it was his bad luck that he ended up fighting his natural enemy. His special technique, Amor, had been completely useless.

Every eye he had placed on Mashiro had been subsequently removed by Hachigen. The big guy did it all with ease while remaining seated in a corner, looking almost tranquil throughout the encounter. Hachigen had been untouchable as well, keeping himself holed up inside some sort of barrier Zommari could not break through.

What surprised the arrancar the most, however, was the girl. Her innocent demeanor was deceiving, for she was anything but.

"It would appear…that our fight ends here," the seventh Espada said weakly as he looked at the girl whose face was mere inches away from his own. "You…may pass."

"Thanks, Pumpkin-tan!" Mashiro said, smiling sweetly as she stepped back, pulling her blood soaked zanpakutou, which she had used to pierce straight through the Espada's chest, out of his body.

Blood began to spill from Zommari's lips as well as his fatal wound.

Mashiro whipped her head around. "Come on, Hachi!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Let's go find Shinji!" She took off running, and her nakama followed.

Zommari closed his eyes and waited in silence as his life drained away from him.

* * *

It didn't take long for Ichigo to realize a few things.

One: the ninth Espada sure liked to talk. By now, Ichigo had practically heard his opponent's entire life story, most of which simply went in one ear and out the other. The only information he retained were the things about Shiba Kaien, namely how the arrancar had come into possession of the deceased shinigami's spirit body.

Two: since this truly _was_ Kaien's spirit body, it was a good thing Ichigo hadn't just impulsively decided to blow him to kingdom come. If he had, Rukia may never be able to let this go. There'd be too much room for her to unreasonably pile more guilt and blame upon herself like she always tended to do. No. If he wanted this to end without any regrets on his or Rukia's part, if he wanted her to find closure, then it _had_ to be Rukia's conscious decision.

Three: unless the arrancar was hiding a major ace up his sleeve, there really wasn't a whole lot to him beyond his gruesome mass. Aaroniero may have the powers of thirty thousand hollows at his disposal but, from the looks of it, they were thirty thousand not-so-incredible hollows. Ichigo was almost certain he'd be able to take him out with relative ease. All Rukia had to do was give the word.

By now, Rukia had dragged her way over to the nearest wall and was currently sitting with her back propped up against it, watching the battle. Her fight with the ninth Espada had stirred up much heartache. However, as soon as Ichigo barged in and placed himself in the middle of everything, much of that heartache suddenly turned into a headache and her depression turned into anxiousness. If she weren't sporting a hole in her stomach, she would have really let him have it. _Typical Ichigo…just doing whatever he wants…_

What was he thinking? Letting the Espada cut her and letting him cut Ichigo were two completely different things! And why wasn't he attacking seriously? Was he really waiting for her to tell him to either kill or be killed?!

With the stress and absurdity of the situation taking precedence in Rukia's mind, the fact that Ichigo was wearing a hollow's mask had made little impact on her. It wasn't that she hadn't noticed. There were just more pressing issues at hand. She was still frantically trying to sort things out in her mind when Ichigo's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Rukia, say something!"

She squeezed her eyes shut with an indecisive frown.

After slicing off one of Aaroniero's tentacles, making the arrancar spew a string of obscenities, Ichigo jumped back until he was a good ways away from his opponent. Planting the tip of Zangetsu into the floor, he let go of the hilt and simply stood there.

Aaroniero laughed with disbelief. "What's the matter, kid? All out of fight already?"

"Rukia…I'm not moving unless you tell me to," Ichigo said solemnly. "If you don't say anything…then I'll assume you want him to cut you down."

Rukia's eyes shot open, the muscles in her gut tightening into a knot. _Ichigo, what're you trying to do?!_

Aaroniero continued to laugh. "Suit yourself, boy. I've got no qualms about killing a defenseless person. I'll absorb you as well!" With his trident in hand, the arrancar charged towards his opponent with great speed, despite his massive form.

Ichigo remained motionless as the Espada drew ever closer.

Rukia clenched her teeth, balling her hand into a fist. "Ichigo, you idiot! Strike!"

Underneath his mask, the orange-haired youth smirked. _You don't have to tell me twice!_ He pulled Zangetsu out of the floor and leaped high into the air, avoiding the trident's thrust. Gripping the hilt of his zanpakutou with both hands, he began to gather his reiatsu. The concentrated energy soon manifested itself as a red glow around his hands.

Looking up from below, Aaroniero's eyes widened with shock. _A Cero?!_

Ichigo held his blade up above his head. Channeling the accumulated reiatsu along the length of his zanpakutou as he swung the weapon downward, he released his Cero in the shape of a crescent moon, sending the arc of energy down towards the arrancar.

It happened so quickly, the ninth Espada didn't even have time to react. That Cero, unlike any he'd ever seen before, bisected him completely from the head down. As his life force dwindled, his body reverted back to the more humanoid shape. With the protective glass now shattered, his two heads lay on the floor screaming pitifully until the last of his strength disappeared.

Ichigo, with his mask put away, ran over to the injured shinigami. "Rukia, are you—"

"What if I had stayed quiet?" her soft voice cut him off.

The boy heaved a sigh as he sat on the floor at her side with his legs crossed, facing her. "I didn't think you would, but…you sure took your sweet time."

"What if I had stayed quiet?" she insisted.

He looked away. "Then I'd take the hit for you."

She frowned. "But…" _That's my penance to pay, not yours._ "It has nothing to do with you."

"Of course it does," he argued. "Better me than you." He put on a stubborn, almost childish, frown.

"That's not for you to decide!"

"I know. That's why I made _you_ decide," he retorted, trying to hide a smirk.

She was rather baffled. "That…that doesn't even make sense!"

"Shut up! It makes sense to me!" He folded his arms grumpily.

Rukia heaved an inward sigh. Whenever they got into arguments like this, he would always win, so she might as well save her breath. She had been the one being stupid this time, so she was fine with letting him have the last word.

She had thought that the only way to atone for her failure to save Kaien's spirit body from the hollows was to let Kaien pierce her with his own hands. That was all she could think of at the time. It wasn't until Ichigo stepped in that she was able to see things from a different perspective. If she were to let Aaroniero use Kaien's body to kill Ichigo or anyone else, not only would her sins accumulate, Kaien would definitely _not_ approve. In order to prevent Aaroniero from defiling Kaien's spirit body any further, the Espada had to be destroyed. Now, thanks to Ichigo, Kaien's body had been freed. As for his heart…she will keep that with her as long as she lived.

Looking back at Ichigo now, she decided to change the subject. "That was a Cero."

He shifted with mild discomfort. "Ah."

She looked at him expectantly.

He shifted again, rubbing the back of his neck. "I promise I'll tell you everything, Rukia. But before that, just answer me one question…" He looked away, with a troubled scowl. "Am I seriously just his stand-in?"

Rukia arched a brow then chuckled weakly. "Ichigo…"

Her voice was so weak that he wasn't able to catch anything beyond his name. "What was that?"

"Come here," she whispered tiredly.

He scooted closer to hear what she had to say.

"Closer."

He gulped then leaned his head in till his ear was just inches away from her face.

Rukia placed her hand on his neck and pulled his head in even closer, causing him to brace himself awkwardly with his hands on the floor in order to maintain balance. At this proximity, she could kiss him if she wanted to.

Placing her lips against his ear…she screamed instead. "YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!!"

Ichigo recoiled with a scream of his own, his hand covering his now ringing ear as though it were bleeding. When the initial shock subsided, he glared daggers at her. "Damn you! You still have all that strength! You didn't need my help at all!"

Rukia closed her eyes, smiling with content.

* * *

Shinji collapsed to his knees, unable to believe how much stronger Aizen had become. What was with the crazy hadou spells leveling up in the nineties?! He had just been hit with a second one, and it had left his power supply so depleted that his mask had shattered. One more hit, and he'd be done for. Urahara was currently covering for him, but the vizard knew the exiled shinigami would not be able to hold out on his own for long. Although Aizen had taken quite a bit of damage, Urahara had taken more.

Aizen directed another hadou spell at Urahara who effectively blocked it with his blood mist shield. "I've made a decision," he said in a voice only loud enough for Urahara to hear.

The blond-haired shinigami cautiously remained behind the shield and made no reply.

"Ever since Hirako-kun appeared, I've been trying to decide whether I should end his life with a Hadou Ninety: Black Coffin spell or a simple flesh wound from my zanpakutou," Aizen explained as he glanced over his shoulder at the vizard on the other side of the room. "However…for old times' sake…I think he would die happier if it were at _your_ hands." He turned around and faced Shinji. "Shatter…"

Urahara's eyes widened as he realized what Aizen was about to do. He dropped his blood mist shield and hollered to the vizard with urgency. "Shinji! Close your eyes!"

It was too late. Aizen called the name of his zanpakutou. "Kyouka Suigetsu."

Shinji, still on his knees, now had his eyes transfixed on something no one else could see.

Aizen charged towards Shinji, smirking at the fact that Urahara was right on his heels, trying to stop him from getting to the boy. In Urahara's current condition, there was no way he'd be able to catch up in time.

As for Shinji, Aizen had the boy trapped within his Perfect Hypnosis watching an imaginary battle between Urahara and himself. The vizard won't even know what was coming until it was too late. And even then, he would only see Urahara as the one who pierced him through. To allow him to die believing he was killed by the one he so respected…it was a perfect hypnosis indeed.

The ex-shinigami brandished his weapon, ready to make the strike.

At the last second, Shinji picked up his zanpakutou and shoved its length through his would-be murderer's abdomen. Breathing heavily with his hands still on the hilt, he looked up into Aizen's shocked features and gave a tired smirk. "Just kidding."

Aizen dropped his blade. "How…did you—" Before he could finish his question, his eyes widened as Benihime pierced through his chest from behind.

In unison, Urahara and Shinji pulled their zanpakutous out of Aizen's body and the ex-shinigami collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness. While Shinji's thrust destroyed Aizen's Soul Sleep, Urahara's blade shattered his Chain Link. Though the wounds were not fatal, the powerful Aizen Sousuke was no more.

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Shinji pulled himself back to his feet. "These things hurt like hell!" he complained as he retrieved a pair of contact lenses from his eyes with his fingers, handing them back to their owner. "Are ya trying to make me go blind?!"

"I made them to fit _my_ eyes," Urahara explained calmly with a slight smirk as he took the lenses off Shinji's hands. "But since you showed up at the last minute, I gave them to you instead while I used the prototype," he said as he took off the glasses he'd been wearing.

Silence took over as they both looked at their fallen foe with weary features. It had been a close call. If only one of them had made it here, if Aizen hadn't tried to use his zanpakutou's release, if they didn't have this ace, if Aizen hadn't fallen for their deception…the battle would most likely have ended quite differently. They both knew that they got lucky.

"Guess that's that," Shinji said, just to break the silence.

"Shinji…thank you," Urahara said, uncharacteristically sincere.

"Didn't I already say I'm not doing any of this for you?" Shinji replied casually with a tinge of annoyance as he busied himself sheathing his zanpakutou.

Urahara smirked. "For helping Kurosaki-san."

"That wasn't a favor either," the vizard replied plainly, his eyes stubbornly refusing to look at the older man. "You pointed me to a possible recruit. I fixed him up and got myself a hell of a powerhouse on the team. It was a mutually beneficial situation."

Urahara hid the small smile on his lips as he adjusted his hat. "Well then. I guess I'll leave things here to you." With that, he walked out of the throne room, the sound of his clogs echoing through the silence once more.

* * *

Kensei had always thought of himself as a relatively adept shunpo user…until now. As he stood on the sidelines watching Yoruichi and Halibel pursue each other in a whirlwind of shunpo and sonido, he couldn't help but feel just a little bit outclassed. He wasn't even sure if what he was doing could be considered 'watching' since all he could see were just glimpses of the action. However, from what he could tell, neither one seemed to be gaining an advantage thus far.

Then all of a sudden, the vizard didn't have to strain his eyes just to keep up anymore. It wasn't because he got better at it. It was because, out of the blue, the battle simply came to a complete halt. The two women stood in the center of the room facing each other. They looked so calm and composed that, had Kensei not been there the entire time, he might have thought that their fight had yet to begin.

"Congratulations," Halibel said flatly. "It would seem that you have won."

"So it seems," Yoruichi replied, trying to gauge her opponent's intentions.

"I see no point in continuing," the arrancar stated. "Perhaps another time." Then, after throwing a final glance at Kensei, she simply disappeared.

Kensei's jaws nearly dropped to the floor, completely bewildered. "Wha…? What just happened?!"

Yoruichi folded her arms with a serious look on her features. "Aizen's been defeated. His reiatsu just dropped to nothing."

* * *

Yammy looked up with a frown as he sensed the vanishing reiatsu. "Che. So, even the all fearless Aizen ain't invincible after all."

The tenth Espada sneered as he dropped his hold on his opponent's neck. "You got lucky, kid." That said, he simply walked out, leaving a badly battered Sado on the floor, unconscious and barely hanging on to life.

* * *

By now, both Renji and Ishida were down on the floor, spitting up blood as a result of having various internal organs destroyed. It was painfully obvious that victory was impossible.

Szayel, still holding the miniature dolls of Renji and Ishida in his hand, heaved a disappointed sigh. "Game's over, huh? Pity." He carelessly tossed the dolls out of his hand and turned to go as the tiny pieces of 'organs' scattered across the half-destroyed floor.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Renji hollered before coughing up more blood.

The eighth Espada looked back at the shinigami and the Quincy with disdain. "If the game's over, then I've got better things to do than to watch a couple of dogs breathe their last breaths."

"Get back here you bastard!" Renji growled in fury at Szayel's retreating back. He tried to claw his way after the guy, but a hand on his arm held him back.

"Abarai!"

Renji turned to the boy with a glare.

Ishida took a couple of labored breaths, gathering strength just to speak. "I hate to say it, but…we should count ourselves lucky."

Renji clenched his fist and punched the floor with frustration. "Damn it!"

* * *

Rose shook his head with a sigh, a hand on his forehead. _How did it end up like this?_

The sound of laughter drew his attention back to the other two who were now sitting on the floor discussing…of all things…manga.

Their fight didn't last very long but, throughout that time, Love would keep spewing random catch phrases and quoting battle dialogue from various manga series. Eventually, Stark had to ask what gibberish he was speaking, at which point Love went completely I-can't-believe-you-don't-know hysterical. Whipping out the manga in his back pocket, the vizard started showing and explaining everything to the man he was supposed to be fighting.

Love's behavior Rose could _sort of_ understand. At least he was used to it. However, this Stark guy's position was high, even amongst the Espada. His apparent carefree and laid back nature had left Rose rather perplexed.

Stark rubbed his chin with a contemplative frown. "Hmm…we don't have this kind of entertainment here in Hueco Mundo."

"You poor man!" Love exclaimed as he shoved the manga into Stark's hands. "Here, take this!"

"Stop giving away my things," Rose complained with a frown. "I haven't even read it, yet."

"Aw, come on, Rose," Love pleaded. "I know he's supposed to be the enemy and all, but…it's all good."

"The fight's over anyhow," Stark commented conversationally as he flipped through the pages.

The vizards shared a confused glance and replied in unison. "Huh?"

The Espada shrugged. "Aizen just lost."

Love scratched his temple, still feeling puzzled. "Well…aren't you gonna go help him or something?"

"Why?" Stark asked, his eyes still glued to the pages of the little book in his hand. "If the guy can't take care of himself, he has no business sitting at the top."

"Wow!" Love's eyes widened with excitement. "That line's perfect! You're a natural, man! We should sell that line to Jump!"

To that, Rose could only sigh again.

* * *

Risa smirked at the sound of bones cracking as the heel of her foot connected with Nnoitora's face. The force sent the arrancar sailing backwards quite a ways before finally dropping him onto the sand. She supposed that was good enough payback for the dislocation of her left shoulder. "What's the matter, third-rate? That all you got?"

Nnoitora got up, swiped the blood from his lips with a growl, and rushed forward again.

However, before he was able to reach his target, Halibel suddenly appeared behind him. "Nnoitora."

He halted at the sound of her voice.

"Aizen lost. We're leaving."

"I don't give a shit!" he spat. "This chick's mine!"

"You should listen to your friend," Risa chimed in provokingly. "Take this opportunity to hightail it out of here while you still can."

Nnoitora bristled. He was done playing nice. "You won't live long enough to regret this, girlie." He raised his zanpakutou into the air. "PRAY! Santa-ah-AH-AH-AH-AHH!!"

Halibel had his ear twisted between the tight hold of her fingers. "Fight's over," she said, still sounding as calm and impassive as usual. "We're leaving." Without releasing him, she began to lead him away.

"Let go, you bitch!" Nnoitora complained as he was forced to walk awkwardly backwards.

Risa placed a hand on her hip. "Yeah. Just run with your tail between your legs, third-rate."

Nnoitora narrowed his eyes, yanking himself out of Halibel's grasp. "I'm gonna kill y—ah-AH-AH-AH-AH!!"

It was useless. In the end, he was dragged away cursing and protesting.

The moment the arrancars were out of sight, Risa collapsed onto her knees. Though she kept up appearances, the truth was every inch of her body was hurting. She wasn't satisfied with the way her battle turned out, but…if that woman's words could be trusted…then at least their mission ended in success.

There was one thing, however, that she couldn't quite figure out. There was currently one more battle still being waged within the walls of Las Noches, but she didn't recognize any of the combatants' reiatsu. If none of her nakama were involved, then who else could still be fighting against their enemy?

* * *

A/N: (Dies…) This was probably the most difficult chapter to write, with the Ichigo/Rukia/Aaroniero scene being the biggest hold up, because I needed it to do so many things for me. Well, I hope it turned out ok.

At the end of the Soul Society arc, when Orihime told Ichigo she couldn't find Rukia, he instinctively knew she'd be at the Shiba's. That says to me that he knows about her killing Kaien, even though I can't seem to find an actual scene where someone relays that info to him. Did I overlook something? I thought about making Ukitake the messenger since he actually witnessed what happened and would know more details. But it seemed weird that he'd casually talk about things like this, so I decided on Ganju instead since he and Ichigo are closer friends.

While Ichigo knew this and he knew he looked like _somebody_ from Rukia's past, I don't think he ever put the two together (or gave it much thought) and realized that they're actually the same person, so I'm having him do that here. Ichigo's kinda dimwitted, but when things are really important, he tends to pick up on them better than most. That's how I read him anyway. As for the Cero…since Shinji has a Cero, I figured a better-trained Ichigo would have one, too. And since everything else about his power is rather unconventional, I thought his Cero should be as well. Heh…

Urahara and Shiji…while I don't necessarily think that these two have some sort of relationship in canon, I won't be too surprised if they do. They both, and Aizen as well, dabble in forbidden techniques. Kinda makes sense. And actually, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. LOL! It would explain why Urahara didn't freak out the first time he saw Ichigo w/ his hollow mask, way back when. It would also explain why Shinji knew so much about Ichigo from the get go. See! It could work, right? Haha! I'd like to write the story about their past, but right now it's still rather vague in my mind. It's also kinda daunting, because I'd have to make up a lot of stuff about the nature of the vizards…

Oh, and I didn't forget that Aizen used to be the lieutenant of Fifth Division. So, basically, I'm saying he was lieutenant of 12th before he moved to 5th.

I debated on whether or not Sado should die, but since the guy only had one line in the entire story, the least I could do was let him live. I think Zommari's kinda lame, but I thought he could die with a bit more dignity than he did in the manga. I like the idea of Stark and Love being buddies. I think it's hilarious! And as far as Stark was concerned, as long as he didn't let the vizards pass, it didn't really matter whether they spent their time fighting or just shooting the breeze. Haha! And I have to say, there's something satisfying about seeing Nnoitora being dominated by women. LOL!

Sorry, the notes are a bit long, but I thought I'd address some possible questions before they're asked. Ulqui, Hime, and Grimm are taking a break, but they'll be back in full force next chapter. Every scene will have at least one of them in it, I swear. Haha! It's getting close to the end…

Many thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!

* * *

Additional Notes: (Heavy sigh…) Seriously, Kubo…did ya _have_ to release Chapter –108 the exact same week I'm working on _this_ very chapter? I read it pretty much right after I finished writing this. While I'm happy to finally learn some things about the past, it's the big wrench in my story that I've been dreading this whole time. And what's with the crazy impeccable timing of it's release?! LOL!

I debated on whether I should rewrite the chapter to make the Urahara/Shinji/Aizen relationships fit to canon or not, and, as you can see here, I decided not to. This is the way I had envisioned it, so I want to preserve it. By changing the nature of their relationships, I feel like it would ruin the drama in that scene somewhat and displace Urahara's position. I'm rather fond of the Urahara/Shinji relationship I've dreamed up. Haha!

Thoughts on my decision? Interest in their now seriously AU past? I guess I wasn't _too_ far off...just a little mixed up and backwards. Haha!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I'm ready to be the owner of a second Bleach artbook…hopefully one with tons of Ulquiorra and Grimmjow images in it. Is there one available, yet?

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

What was once an elegant hallway wasn't much of a hallway anymore. That was to be expected, since there was no way such a narrow space could have contained a battle between a captain class shinigami and two Espadas. Courtesy of Grimmjow's Gran Rey Cero, the walls had all but crumbled to piles of rubble, opening the space up into a much larger fighting arena. The fact that the high ceiling didn't cave in as well was nothing short of a miracle.

As Ulquiorra parried against Gin's zanpakutou, he thought about how, until now, he had never seen the man unleash his true strength. While he never thought that Gin would be weak by any means, he also never expected the ex-shinigami to be this much of an obstacle, especially when they were fighting two against one.

The fourth Espada had always been somewhat weary of the man, because he couldn't figure him out. Gin was even harder to read than Aizen. He was also very good at staying out of the spotlight. Nonetheless, even though one may not see him or notice his presence, it didn't necessarily mean that Gin wasn't in the shadows watching events unfold. Just like now. While Ulquiorra could not see the eyes that were seemingly hidden under the shinigami's eyelids, he knew those very eyes were watching everything that was going on around him, because, so far, they had yet to find an opening in his defense.

That being the case, the fact that Grimmjow was now coming up behind Gin did not escape the shinigami's notice. His eternal grin widened. With one hand, Gin cast a kidou spell in front of him, forcing Ulquiorra to jump back in retreat as an explosion went off in the space between them. With his other hand, he redirected his blade to point at the Espada behind him from the space under his arm.

"Shoot to kill…Shinsou."

"Shit!" Grimmjow's eyes widened as he heard those words. However, standing at no more than three feet away from Gin, it was impossible for him to evade the extending blade that was coming at him at bullet-speed.

Shinsou pierced the sexta Espada in his right shoulder, the force of impact causing Grimmjow to drop his own zanpakutou. As Shinsou continued to extend, pushing its prey along with it, Grimmjow slid backwards on his feet with gritted teeth.

In that split second, Ulquiorra sheathed his zanpakutou and used sonido to catch up to Grimmjow, reappearing behind the blue-haired Espada just as his sliding came to a stop.

Though Grimmjow was a bit preoccupied by his situation to notice Ulquiorra's approach, he did not miss the fourth Espada's quiet and even voice.

"Hold him down and do not move."

Grimmjow didn't even give it a second thought as he placed both hands around the blade whose tip was currently still embedded within his own flesh. Fresh blood dripped from his hands as he tightened his grip.

In the distance, Gin's brows creased ever so slightly when his attempts to swing or retract his zanpakutou yielded no results.

By now, Ulquiorra was down on one knee with a Cero already charged up at the tip of his finger. Taking aim with his arm straight out in front of him, he fired the Cero at Gin…right through the hole in Grimmjow's torso.

While struggling to free his zanpakutou, Gin didn't see that rather unexpected move until it was too late. His irises revealed themselves just as he took the direct hit and collapsed to the floor.

Grimmjow was left wide-eyed with slacked jaws from pure shock. When he finally regained his wits, he pulled the blade out of his shoulder and whipped around, fisting both hands into Ulquiorra's clothes, yanking him closer in a less-than-friendly manner. "You did NOT just shoot a god damn Cero _right_ through me!!"

Ulquiorra looked directly into Grimmjow's infuriated eyes with absolute calmness. "Since you always complained whenever I stepped in to save you, I thought you might appreciate being my shield for once."

"SO YOU ADMIT YOU WERE USING ME AS A SHIELD!!" Grimmjow hollered, giving the fourth Espada another solid tug.

"It secured our victory with convenience," Ulquiorra stated plainly.

Grimmjow loosened his grip in disbelief. "C…con…convenience?!"

Ulquiorra took the opportunity to walk away, making his way towards Gin.

"Hey, I'm not done talking, you bastard!" Grimmjow griped as he followed after Ulquiorra. "Damn it, you really piss me off sometimes, you know that?!"

The fourth Espada elected to remain silent as the slightest hint of the grin he couldn't quite hide played across his lips.

As they both stood over the shinigami's motionless body, Grimmjow made an observation. "You didn't kill him."

"We can use him," Ulquiorra replied, eyes still on Gin.

The sexta Espada raised a brow in query. "For what?"

Ulquiorra turned his eyes to Grimmjow. "We will make a trade with Soul Society…Ichimaru Gin, one of their most wanted criminals, for passage into the living world."

* * *

Following the signal on the homing device, Orihime found herself in the lower levels of Las Noches, somewhere deep below the desert's surface. She stood now before a doorway with a pair of doors as heavy as the one that had prevented her from leaving her own room. This time, however, it will not stand in her way. With the bracelet that she was wearing, she simply walked through the massive doors.

Upon entering, she saw that there were bookshelves along the walls, a couple of lounge chairs, and a side table. The room, which was about twice the size of the room she'd occupied, appeared to be some sort of library or study. Much to her relief, no one was present.

Eventually, the homing device led her to the wall directly opposite from the door. It was nothing more than a blank wall, but the moment Orihime stepped up to it, the holographic spinning hearts projected from the gadget in her hand suddenly all popped like balloons, replaced by holographic confetti and streamers falling around the still grinning face of Urahara Kisuke.

Despite the severity of the situation, Orihime couldn't quite stifle her soft laughter. "I guess that means I found it."

She looked at the wall with a contemplative frown. How did this thing work? Was there some sort of hidden switch that would activate a secret door? Maybe she needed to go turn the side table…or pull a particular book off the shelf…or perform a series of rhythmic taps on the wall…or say some magic words along the lines of 'open sesame.' _Would Aizen really stand in front of this wall and say something like 'open sesame'?_

The curious part of her really wanted to know the magic behind the proper way of retrieving the hougyoku, but the realistic part of her knew she didn't have the time for it. Reaching her hand and arm into the wall, she began to feel around until her hand came into contact with an object that sent a tingling sensation through her body just from touching it. _Found it!_

Orihime retrieved the hougyoku, holding it on her open palm. The energy it emitted was so strong it collided with that of the bracelet's spiritual shell. Unable to contain the power of the hougyoku within its barrier, the bracelet all but shattered and dropped to the floor in tiny pieces.

She sat on her heels, still facing the wall, and simply stared at the glowing object in her hand. So completely lost in thought was she that she wasn't even sure how much time had passed when she heard the door open and the sound of clogs echoing through the room, coming to a stop somewhere behind her.

"Is it true?" she asked without turning around, her voice quiet and dispirited.

"If you reject the hougyoku," Urahara began, his voice devoid of emotion, "it is unlikely that you will survive. Yes."

"No. I mean…is it true that I am the only one who can do it?"

Urahara's brows raised slightly before growing solemn once more. "Ever since I created the hougyoku, I've been trying to find a way to destroy it. To this day, I have yet to come up with a workable solution. You are indeed the only one who can make it happen. I had realized that long ago, but never mentioned it because of the consequences." He heaved a quiet sigh. "Inoue-san, this is my burden to bear…not yours."

She closed her eyes, her hand closing around the hougyoku. "But if I'm the only one with the power…then doesn't the responsibility fall on me as well?"

He made no reply.

"I don't…I don't want to die. But if I do this, I can be helpful this time…and not a hindrance."

Guilt stabbed through him as he recalled his own words to the girl. "I had only said those things to try to keep you away from Aizen," he said half-heartedly, unsure as to whether he was trying to apologize or make an excuse by saying it.

"But it's true. I know." She thought about how she had always been protected by the people around her. Even when she had agreed to come here in order to protect her nakama, somehow she ended up being protected again by Ulquiorra and Grimmjow, and her nakama were putting themselves through danger to come retrieve her.

"All this fighting…I don't like it," she said as she once again stared down at the object in her hand, the cause of all their struggles. As long as it existed, there would be danger. Who knows when the next power hungry maniac might come along?

This time, for sure, she will be the one to protect the ones she loved. Kurosaki-kun… Tatsuki-chan… Kuchiki-san… Ishida-kun… Sado-kun… Grimm-chan…and…

Ulquiorra…

Tears began to fall as she thought about the one she had come to hold so dear. He would be so upset…

Orihime didn't want to leave him, but how could she place her personal happiness above the safety of so many? She wanted so much to see him one last time but knew that he would stop her from rejecting the hougyoku at all costs if she did, and she would lose her chance. It may take some time, but she hoped that, one day, Ulquiorra would understand and be able to forgive her.

"Urahara-san," she said as she strained to keep her voice from breaking, her eyes glazed over with sorrow. "Please tell Ulquiorra and Grimmjow that I'm sorry. We'd only just found each other after so long…I wish it could have lasted longer."

She held the hougyoku now with both hands and took a deep breath. With closed eyes, she whispered her command. "Souten Kishun…I reject."

Urahara knew he should have tired harder to stop her. He knew he could have stopped her if he truly wanted to. But he couldn't deny the part of him, the ugly and so very tired part of him, that wanted her to go through with it…wanted it to end. And he hated himself for it.

All he could do was get down on his knees and silently bow down to the girl who was so graciously and selflessly offering up her life to purge the ill-conceived product of his past arrogance and ambitions.

* * *

Ulquiorra entered the now half-destroyed throne room, Grimmjow following closely behind with an unconscious Gin slung over his shoulder. As the fourth Espada had suspected, this had become a gathering place for the intruders.

Hachi was sitting somewhere in the middle of the room, busy trying to heal Hiyori and Rukia who were lying on the floor before him while Ichigo and a few others watched.

Yoruichi entered from a different entry with an injured Ishida, supporting the boy's weight with one of his arms slung over her shoulders. Kensei came in shortly afterwards with the injured Renji in his care. As soon as Yoruichi handed the Quincy over to Ichigo, she immediately left again to search for Sado.

Aizen was also present. Though now conscious, he appeared worn and was sitting on his heels. His arms were held behind his back with the strongest binding spell that Hachi had to offer. It was highly doubtful that he'd be able to escape at this point. Nonetheless, Shinji stood guard beside him.

As for the rest of the arrancars, Ulquiorra could no longer sense any of their reiatsu in or anywhere near Las Noches. It was a bit surprising. He never really expected the outcome of this invasion to be quite this successful. However, at the moment, he could care less about any of it. The only thing on his mind as he scanned the room was the fact that Orihime was not here.

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow certainly did stand out like a pair of sore thumbs, drawing everyone's attention upon entry. The vizards looked at them warily but were ready to fight at a moment's notice. It wasn't until Ichigo called Ulquiorra out by name and went over to meet him that the tension in the room began to dissipate.

Ichigo eyed Grimmjow as he approached. Despite his past experiences with the sexta Espada, it _did_ seem like he and Ulquiorra were on the same side after all, especially with the incapacitated Gin slung over his shoulder.

"Where is Hime?" Ulquiorra inquired just as Ichigo asked, "Where's Inoue?"

There was a brief pause as the two simply looked at one another.

"She disappeared during our confrontation with Ichimaru Gin," Ulquiorra supplied. "I thought she would have come to heal her nakama."

"No," Ichigo said. "She's not here."

"I am aware of that," Ulquiorra replied as his eyes darted away to look at his surroundings once more.

The orange-haired youth was mildly surprised. He was actually able to detect the slightest hint of impatience in the fourth Espada's ever calm and collected voice.

"Ulquiorra…" Aizen spoke up. Even in defeat, he still insisted on wearing that falsely gentle smile. "Of all the arrancar, I never thought you would be the one to betray me." He gave a grim chuckle. "An oversight on my part. I _am_ impressed. It was a good show."

Ulquiorra only averted his eyes wordlessly.

Grimmjow on the other hand was practically basking in the feeling of utterly unadulterated satisfaction at the sight of Aizen's pathetic downfall with the most sadistic grin on his face. That feeling, however, was short-lived.

At that moment, Orihime's normally barely detectable reiatsu suddenly peaked sharply but briefly. Then it vanished completely.

"Well, well," Aizen said with a smirk. "Looks like Urahara wins after all."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened, a sinking feeling in his gut. _Hime…_

"She didn't…" Grimmjow said in a near whisper, disbelieving.

Ichigo didn't quite understand, but he grasped enough to get that something was very wrong. "What? What's going on?!"

Without even acknowledging the question, Ulquiorra simply winked out of sight.

"Oi, Ulquiorra!" Grimmjow tried yelling after him, but there was no way the sound of his voice could match the speed of Ulquiorra's sonido.

Aizen chuckled softly, spitefully taking whatever pleasure he could. "It's too late."

Grimmjow glared daggers at the fallen shinigami as he went over and gave the man a much-deserved solid punch in the face, rendering him unconscious once again. Unceremoniously dumping Gin on the floor, the sexta Espada moved to follow after Ulquiorra.

Three steps into his venture, Grimmjow paused and turned back around. "Oi, Kurosaki!"

When Ichigo looked up in response, his face was met with Grimmjow's fist. The sudden attack made him lose his balance, falling to the floor. Holding his face with one hand, the boy frowned with indignation. "What the…?!"

"That's a down payment," Grimmjow said. "We'll settle the score later. Don't you forget it!" With that, he disappeared as well, leaving Ichigo peeved and confused.

"Crazy bastard!"

* * *

Trailing Ulquiorra's reiatsu, Grimmjow arrived at the underground study. Upon entering, he found Ulquiorra standing silently, looking down at the motionless heap at his feet that was Orihime, her vibrant hair splayed out around her on the pristine white floor.

At first, his mind simply went blank. When his legs would finally move again, Grimmjow quietly approached as Ulquiorra slowly, almost mechanically, got down on his knees and gathered Orihime up into his arms.

Her eyes were closed. Her lips were pale. She was not moving.

Ulquiorra gently brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face as he whispered her name. He couldn't believe it, couldn't accept it. He had lost her again.

"Her spirit is no longer there. That is nothing but a shell."

Grimmjow whirled around, facing the source of that voice with alarm. He hadn't even noticed that there had been someone else in the room.

Ulquiorra on the other hand gave no sign that he had heard or even cared.

Urahara stepped out of the shadows, coming towards them at a slow and steady pace, his expression unreadable.

Grimmjow was frustrated to say the least. With Ulquiorra in the state that he was, the sexta Espada was left to deal with the shinigami on his own. "What are you still doing here?" he asked with a scowl. "You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

Urahara gave a slight grin, his eyes hidden by his hat. "Yes, but…there's just a bit of…unfinished business." He unsheathed his cane. "Wake up…Benihime."

At the sight of Urahara releasing his zanpakutou, Grimmjow instinctively drew his own blade as well. He took a quick glance behind him. "Oi, Ulqui—"

It was no use. Ulquiorra was just…gone.

"Damn it!" Grimmjow cursed under his breath as he returned his attention to the approaching shinigami, ready to defend himself as well as Ulquiorra.

* * *

A/N: (Barricades self behind chairs with a protective pan on my head)

So, yeah…she's dead. But there's still one chapter left. Since you've come this far already, could you at least allow me to finish the story before you decide to cyber stone me to death? Heh…

Well, like I said, the next chapter is the last. And it looks like it might be long. Hope you'll wait for it.

Many thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated! (Very much hoping reviews will revolve around more than _just_ 'OMG, you killed her!' Heh…)


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I own the plot of this now completed little piece of fan fiction. Heh…

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

(Thirty years later)

He stood in front of the mirror as he fixed his tie, a part of the uniform to his new high school. He had just moved into town, and today would be his first day attending Karakura High.

When he was finished, he lingered another moment and stared dully at himself in the mirror, his green eyes staring back at him. With a small sigh, he grabbed his school bag, slung it over one shoulder, and left the house.

As he walked at a leisurely pace, he observed his surroundings. Even though he had never been in Karakura Town in the sixteen years of his life, he knew this place. Some things seemed different, but, for the most part, it was how he had remembered it. Idly, he wondered if this would be the place where he would find what he had been searching for.

* * *

The last bell of the day rang, and school was out. After attending a meeting with her handicrafts club, she bid farewell to her friends and began to head home. As she stepped out of the school gates, she looked up and smiled at the sky, using her fingers to secure a lock of her long vibrant hair behind her ear as a soft breeze swept over her.

It was a nice day. With the sun out and the sky blue, it was the kind of day that always made her ever-optimistic mind think…_something good might happen today._

"Hey, pretty. How's it going?"

_Or not…_ She tore her eyes away from the sky to the two boys who now stood in front of her, barring her path. They were wearing uniforms from a different high school, and she didn't recognize either one of them. Though, to be honest, they didn't really look like the threatening type. They were both relatively scrawny, not particularly tall, and might fit into the category of geeks. One had glasses while the other had freckles.

Not entirely sure what to expect, she smiled. "Um…fine. How are you?"

"We know where there's gonna be an awesome party tonight," Freckles said, raising his brows suggestively, trying his best to give her the eye. "Wanna go?"

The eye thing went completely over her head. "Well…I already have plans, so…"

"Oh, come on," Glasses said, running a hand through his hair in his best imitation of the way some pretty boys sometimes did it in movies. "Forget that and come with us. I promise it'll be fun."

"Besides," Freckles chimed in, "you're just hanging out with that punk, aren't you?"

She furrowed her brows, honestly confused. "Punk?"

"Yeah, we see you around," Glasses said. "What's a nice girl like you doing wasting your time with that loser?"

She placed a finger to her chin in thought. "Mmm…I don't think I know what you're talking about…"

Freckles rolled his eyes. "You know. The big guy who dyes his hair blue and thinks he's so tough. He looks like a total delinquent."

Glasses nodded his head in agreement. "He probably belongs in a gang or something. You should stay away from him."

The light went on in her head, and she finally realized whom they were talking about. "Uh…but…"

"Bet he's stupid, too," Freckles cut her off. "You won't get anywhere if you stick with guys like that."

Just then, a shadow loomed over the boys from behind. "Excuse me, but…_which_ blue-haired delinquent might you be badmouthing now?"

The blood drained from both boys' faces as they heard the sound of knuckles cracking. Then, turning around slowly, they found that tall, I-can-kill-three-bulls-with-one-punch muscular, blue-haired devil towering over them with the worst kind of grin on his face.

* * *

His first day at school had been uneventful, and he didn't see anyone of notable interest in his class. However, that didn't necessarily mean anything. His class was just the beginning. The school was bigger. The town was even bigger. No matter what, he had to keep searching.

When the school day ended, he went up to the roof and scanned the area as the students left the building. As time passed, the crowds got smaller until there were just a few lingering students with club activities around.

He wasn't sure what exactly he should be looking for, but he was certain that when he saw it…he would know.

Then something caught his eye: a shock of unnaturally blue hair.

He turned, ran back into the building, and bolted down the stairs.

* * *

The two scrawny boys were seriously sweating bullets by now as the blue-haired devil stared down at them expectantly.

Glasses gulped, trying to think of a way out. "Um…I…um, well… It wasn't you!" He laughed nervously.

"Oh, no, no, no," Freckles added, shaking his head violently with wide eyes. "Wouldn't _dream_ of it!"

"Oh, good," the blue-haired devil said almost patronizingly, still grinning. "Otherwise somebody might be going home without an eye."

The boys shrank back, shivering.

"Well, lo…look at the time!" Glasses exclaimed. "Gotta go!"

"Yeah, bye!" Freckles added, raising a hand quickly in farewell.

The pair whirled around and tried to make a quick exit, but a firm hand came down on each of their shoulders. They halted with a decidedly unmanly "eep".

"Word of the wise," the blue-haired devil said in a low, dangerous voice. "Stay away from the girl."

"YES, SIR!" Glasses and Freckles said in unison before bolting for their lives.

After giving a satisfied grin, the blue-haired youth turned his attention back to the girl who was now frowning disapprovingly at him.

"You didn't have to freak them out like that," she admonished.

He shrugged, unaffected. "Wimps who try ta get girls by talking shit about someone else are worthless." He placed an arm casually around her shoulder and began to walk, tugging her along. "Come on, princess."

She sighed with a pout as she fell into step with him. "It's like you're marking your territory or something."

"So? Like I care. That aside, why the heck didn't you wait for me?" he complained.

"You told me you had to go to the principal's office," she said dryly. "I figured that meant detention."

"What?! Have a little more faith, will ya?" His scowl turned into a grin. "You know I'd figure a way out of it."

Despite the fact that whatever he did to get out of detention was probably _not_ a good thing, she couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his remark.

Then, just as they got to the end of the block, a boy with short black hair, this time wearing the same school uniform as theirs, suddenly jumped over the school fence and landed in a crouch right in front of them, blocking their way.

Whereas the startled girl gasped, the tall youth cursed. "The _hell's_ your problem, you crazy moro…" He lost his train of thought, his mouth left agape, when the boy stood and looked up, revealing his stoic features.

The girl stood transfixed at the sight of the boy before her. Her legs were getting weak, and she found herself clinging onto the one beside her just to remain on her feet. The boy…he looked a bit different. His skin was not ashen white. The streaks on his face were gone, and the broken mask was no more. However, she would never mistake those piercing green eyes. "Ulquiorra…" she all but breathed.

The raven-haired boy stared at her another moment longer, drinking the sight of her in. She looked almost exactly as he had remembered. Her hair was even more vibrant than before. Then finally, he responded. "Hime…"

Reassured by his confirmation, she began to cry, overjoyed to finally see him again.

The boy then looked over to the blue-haired youth. He, too, did not appear much different aside from the lack of his broken mask and the markings under his eyes. "Grimmjow…" His eyes then traveled down to where the blue-haired youth had his hand on the girl's shoulder, not sure what to think.

Seeing that look, the taller teen grinned. "Well, it's about damn time you showed your face. Here," he said as he practically shoved the girl over to the other boy.

She yelped as the unexpected push caused her to trip over her own feet. Luckily, the raven-haired youth caught her before she sprawled on the sidewalk. She couldn't help but blush with embarrassment as he held onto her and helped her up. This _definitely_ was _not_ the musical style romantic and graceful pick-me-up-and-spin-me-around kind of reunion embrace that she'd been dreaming about over the years.

The blue-haired youth raked a hand through his unruly hair. "I consider myself debt free, ya hear?" He placed his hands in his pockets, heaving a sigh. "This girl's like some walking guy magnet. Gotta swat them away like annoying flies."

Upon hearing those words, the raven-haired youth gave a slight smirk. "You haven't changed."

* * *

Sitting on top of a roof with his legs dangling off the edge, close enough to see the trio's reunion but far enough away not to be seen, was Urahara Kisuke.

Standing a few steps behind him with folded arms, watching as well, was Shihouin Yoruichi. "You're getting soft in your old age, Kisuke."

Urahara hid his grin behind his fan as he recalled events of thirty years ago, back in the underground chamber of Las Noches:

_Grimmjow had his zanpakutou drawn, poised to fight as the exiled shinigami slowly approached with the released Benihime in hand._

"_Relax," Urahara said with a small grin as he came to a stop. "I'm here to make you an offer."_

_The sexta Espada narrowed his eyes. "The hell are you talking about?"_

"_You have a few choices before you," Urahara began. "You can, one, stay here in Hueco Mundo and remain as you are for all eternity, which I don't recommend. After all, there really is nothing for you here… But I'm sure you know that better than I do."_

_Grimmjow made no response. _

"_Or you can, two," Urahara continued as he waved Benihime casually in the air, "let me cut you down with my zanpakutou, in which case your souls will be cleansed and you'll be on your merry way to Soul Society." He shrugged. "The outlook will be better, I suppose." _

_The shinigami then reached a hand into the inside pocket of his jacket, fishing for something. "OR…you can, three…" He pulled out three small objects that looked like little green marbles and held them out on the palm of his hand for Grimmjow to see. One of them was glowing and floating slightly above his palm. "…swallow one of these Memory Retaining Pills and be put back into the reincarnation cycle to be reborn into the living world with all your memories intact!" he finished with enthusiasm._

_Silence followed as Grimmjow arched a skeptical brow at the unbelievable idea._

_Urahara beamed with pride. "Nifty little things, aren't they? I created them myself."_

"_Great," Grimmjow said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Sounds pointless. Why the hell would I trade all my bad ass powers just to become some puny human who remembers that I __**used**__ to have bad ass powers? Huh? Stop wasting our time and just go the hell away!"_

"_Tsk, tsk," Urahara said with a shake of his head. "You didn't let me finish." He held up the pills again, speaking with seriousness now. "Inoue-san has already taken one. Her spirit is now inside the glowing pill. Don't believe me? I'm sure you can recognize her reiatsu."_

_As Grimmjow paid closer attention to the glowing pill, his eyes widened. Urahara was telling the truth._

_This also caught Ulquiorra's attention, and he finally came out of his daze and opened his ears._

"_You see where I'm going with this now, don't you?" Urahara asked. "Swallow the pill, and you will remember everything in your next life. The only thing you have to do then…is to find each other again. The choice is yours, of course. Another chance to be together, or," he shrugged, "bad ass powers."_

_Grimmjow growled, but Ulquiorra stood up and took a pill from Urahara's hand, staring at it between his fingers._

"_Woah, hey, wait!" Grimmjow exclaimed with alarm. "How do you know you can even trust this guy?!"_

_But all Ulquiorra said in return without tearing his eyes away from the pill was, "I'll find her." Then, without hesitation, he swallowed the pill._

_Ulquiorra's body began to fade until it eventually disappeared. All that was left was a glowing green pill, floating in the spot where the core of his body had been just a moment ago._

_Urahara calmly reached out and collected the pill._

_Grimmjow on the other hand was about to pull his hair out with frustration. How could Ulquiorra just jump into it like that?! Wasn't he always the 'think before he acts' kind of person?! "Damn it!" What was he supposed to do now?!_

_The sexta Espada glared over at Urahara who only grinned back._

"_So, what'll it be?" the shinigami asked lightly._

"_How did you even know about us?" Grimmjow asked in a serious tone. The three of them didn't even find out about their past lives until Orihime had been captured, so she couldn't have told Urahara anything beforehand._

"_Ah, that," Urahara said with another grin. "Well, I had a feeling there might be a rather strong connection between Ulquiorra-san and Inoue-san when he came to the living world to see me. And I also saw you in the message that he showed me, so I brought an extra pill just in case. But until Inoue-san confirmed things for me just now…" he gave another shrug, "the nature of your relationships was all just speculation." He looked at the arrancar. "Satisfied?"_

_Grimmjow grumbled with a frown. "No. Why would you do this for us?"_

"_I wouldn't," Urahara replied simply. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it…for her." He looked pointedly at the pills in his hand._

_Grimmjow followed the shinigami's line of sight. If there was one thing he understood, it was debts. It all made sense now, but it didn't make him like the situation any better. Still, both Orihime and Ulquiorra had already, in his honest opinion, stupidly taken up on the offer, so what choice did he have? _

_The sexta Espada fisted his hands in Urahara's jacket, pulling him in threateningly. "If this doesn't work, I __**swear**__ I will kill you!" He took the last pill and popped it into his mouth._

_When Grimmjow vanished from sight, Urahara collected the last pill, growing solemn as he stood alone in the dark room. "It's the least I can do to compensate…"_

Urahara looked down at the three teens with a smile on his face. "Maybe I _have_ gotten soft, but…" his smile turned into a grin, "I'd like to think that I haven't lost my sense of humor…"

* * *

"Where the _hell_ have you been all this time?!" the blue-haired youth asked with a scowl.

"At least _I_ have been searching," the other boy replied calmly, placing his hands in his pockets. "It appears _you_ have been doing nothing."

"Hey, the world is god damn huge, ok?" the taller boy griped. "And it's not like we picked a place to meet since _someone_ swallowed that pill the second he saw it."

The raven-haired youth looked away. "That is not an excuse."

"So, if there ever was an obvious location, this town would be it," the blue-haired youth continued. "And since we were conveniently born here and all," he said, pointing to himself and the girl, "we figured we'd just wait it out. Makes sense to me."

"Ulquiorra, how long have you been here?" the girl asked.

"I was born overseas, but my father was originally from this town," the raven-haired boy replied. "He and I just moved back."

The girl turned to the blue-haired youth with a pout and a small scowl. "See, Gin-chan! Didn't I say we should take more trips!"

Her cheek was caught between his fingers in no time. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that sissy name?!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

The blue-haired youth wasn't the least bit surprised when he suddenly found himself being threatened from behind by the raven-haired youth. He was used to it after all, and, deep down, he was probably expecting it. What caught him completely off guard, however, was _what_ the other boy was using to threaten him with. The last thing he expected as he turned around was to be faced with a huge glowing white bow with the tip of an equally glowing white arrow pointing right between his eyes.

Needless to say, he and the girl both stood speechless with slacked jaws. That was until he suddenly broke out into hysterical laughter. "You're a damn Quincy!!"

"But…" the girl began thoughtfully, "Ishida-kun's the last Quincy, so that means…"

"Your name!" the blue-haired youth said, still laughing. "What's your name?!"

The raven-haired youth closed his eyes with a small sigh as he put away his weapon. "Uriya…Ishida Uriya. Ishida Uryuu is my father."

The girl, as expected, brightened with wide eyes. "That's so cool!!"

The blue-haired youth on the other hand was doubled over with a hand on his stomach, practically laughing himself to tears by now.

"Gin-chan!" she said with a stomp of her foot. "Stop laughing!"

He straightened back up with annoyance. "Stop calling me that! My name's Ginjo, damn it!"

Uriya raised a brow ever so slightly. "Ginjo?"

"Yeah," the taller boy frowned. "What of it?"

"Nothing. It just sounds an awful lot like…"

Ginjo raked a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Yeah, well…my parents have a sick sense of humor."

"Don't say that about mom and dad!" the girl berated with a small frown.

Ginjo rolled his eyes. "I don't wanna hear that from someone who can't even say my name right. If you can't say Ginjo, then call me _Onii-sama_." He folded his arms with a scowl of his own.

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "You sure think highly of yourself…_Gin-chan_."

"You're…siblings?" Uriya inquired.

While the girl flashed a smile, her brother grinned. "Damn right."

Uriya looked from one sibling to the other. Why did he get the feeling he already knew who their parents might be? He almost didn't want to ask. "Your names?"

Ginjo looked away, scowling again. "Kurosaki Ginjo."

The girl on the other hand beamed brightly. "Kurosaki Himeko!"

Uriya closed his eyes with yet another sigh. _Urahara Kisuke…he had this whole thing planned out all along…_

* * *

Up on the roof, Urahara chuckled lightly behind his fan. He could still feel the punch he received from the shocked and enraged Ichigo when he told him in the delivery room that his son was in fact _the_ sexta Espada. But that look on the new father's face…it had been completely worth it.

Yoruichi sighed. "I still don't know how you managed to make it happen."

"Heh…I _was_ the founder of Research and Development after all," Urahara grinned. "Are you surprised that somebody or other in the Reincarnation Department might owe me a favor or two for some…slightly unconventional gadgets or what not?"

"I can't believe you're actually bragging about it," Yoruichi said with a shake of her head.

"All I had to do was hold on to their spirits until the time was right," he said as he got to his feet. Taking one last look at the trio, he smiled as the weight that he'd been carrying on his shoulders the last thirty years finally lifted.

* * *

He placed a cup of tea on the table in front of his long-time friend and took a seat opposite to him, his perma-frown firmly in place. "Ishida. You sure know how to keep in touch. After college you just took off and we never see or hear from you again."

Ishida Uryuu took a sip of his tea. "Shut up, Kurosaki," he replied calmly. "It's not like we were buddies to begin with. Be glad I even stopped by to visit."

Ichigo fumed. "Why you…! Why did I even bother switching to night shift at the hospital today just so I can see your sorry ass?! You're as disagreeable as ever!"

"And you're the same idiot I remember," Ishida replied, not missing a beat.

Rukia chuckled as she joined them at the table. "Just like old times."

Ishida turned to her with a polite smile. "How's life treating you, Rukia-san?"

"After years of living in a gigai, you get used to it," she replied casually. "I still go back to Soul Society quite often. If it's not for work-related reasons, then it's to see Nii-sama and Renji."

Rukia took a sip of her tea as she let her memories take her back. For their part in the Las Noches invasion, both she and Renji had been offered promotions…after first being chewed out for disobeying orders, of course. While Renji took on the role as captain of the Fifth Division, Rukia instead requested for a transfer to be permanently stationed in Karakura. With the support of Ukitake and Renji as well as, surprisingly, the blessing of Byakuya, her permission was granted without much opposition. Soul Society did see the benefits of such an arrangement, especially since Karakura had been targeted before, and that worked out perfectly for Rukia. "Things have been quiet, though. Ever since Aizen's execution, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. It's nice."

"What about Ichimaru Gin?" the Quincy asked. "Have you found him, yet?"

"No," Ichigo said, somewhat annoyed. "I still can't figure out how he managed to slip away that day, but he hasn't resurfaced since."

"And the remaining members of the Espada and the arrancar?" Ishida inquired.

"Without Aizen there to hold them together, it looks like they pretty much disbanded," Rukia supplied. "There hasn't been any activity from them either, even after all this time."

"Is that so…" Ishida said, half-distracted as he thought back to the _real_ reason he came back to Karakura: a message that came in the form of a flying-baseball-turned-blood-splatter on his living room wall that simply read, "Return to Karaura… P.S.: It's important." He didn't get just one. It was one every other night until, five broken windows, two shattered vases, seven destroyed picture frames, and one blood red dyed couch later, he finally started packing.

So, if it wasn't Ichimaru Gin and it wasn't the arrancars, then what could the problem be? It was unlikely that it would be the vizards causing trouble since, after the Las Noches incident, Soul Society had grudgingly accepted them as something like allies with Ichigo acting as the ultimate link between humans, shinigami, and vizards.

Since Urahara had been pestering him…actually, more like harassing him…so much, Ishida had thought that something catastrophic must be happening again. However, from the sounds of it, everything was just peachy. He couldn't help but grumble. Why did he get the feeling that he was being jerked around?

Ichigo deepened his frown. "What's with that face? It's good nothing's happening, right? We took out Aizen, and everybody's happy."

Ishida sighed. "I suppose. If only Inoue-san didn't have to…"

Ichigo shared a glance with Rukia before speaking again. "That reminds me. Himeko's been ecstatic ever since we told her you'd be coming."

The Quincy quirked a brow. "Who's Himeko?"

Ichigo grinned. "Our daughter."

"You have a daughter? But I've never even met her before. Why would she want to see me?" Ishida frowned with suspicion. "You better not have been telling her I can do lame tricks or something."

Ichigo's grin only widened. "Heh…you'll see."

Ishida adjusted his glasses, recomposing himself. "Well, _my_ son wasn't nearly as thrilled when I told him to come here after school today." Then he mumbled to himself, "Not that he's ever really thrilled about anything, but…"

Ichigo raised his brows. "Huh? You mean some poor girl actually married you?"

"Shut up!"

Just then, the sound of voices could be heard coming from outside.

Rukia closed her eyes and smiled. "Ah, the sound of vibrant laughter and incessant cursing… Sounds like they're home."

As if on cue, Himeko burst through the door. "We're home!" She scanned the room, immediately spotting their guest in the living room. "Ishida-kun!!" She went over and threw her arms around him in excitement.

"In…Inoue-san?! How did…? When did…? But you…!" Ishida was perplexed to say the least. Not only was Orihime alive, but she looked exactly the same as she did thirty years ago…except for the fact that she now had a head full of bright orange hair.

Himeko pulled away and placed her hands behind her back with a sheepish smile. "Heh, heh…actually, it's Himeko now."

Ishida raised his brows. "Then…you're…"

As Ishida and Himeko continued to converse, Ichigo spotted Uriya standing beside Ginjo. Quirking a brow at Ginjo, he asked, "Who's this?" Since his son was definitely _not_ the 'bring friends home' type, he immediately jumped to a different conclusion. "He better not be another kid you've beat up who's here to ask for compensation. I'm a doctor, damn it. Can you not keep doing things that are so contradicting?" he berated, conveniently forgetting that he used to do the same when he was a teen.

"I'm giving ya business," Ginjo drawled, somewhat annoyed. "Thank me already. But to answer your question, no, he's not."

Ichigo was skeptical. He looked at Uriya again with his chin in hand. "Hmm…you do look kind of familiar…" Where had he seen him before?

After a drawn out pause, Uriya finally spoke. "You're still not very bright, are you? Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo's jaws dropped as he pointed at the boy. "That annoying way of talking! Ulquiorra!!" Then his eyes widened in enlightenment as he pieced something else together. He turned to Ishida. "_He's_ your son?!" A normal person would probably not have come to that conclusion so quickly, but since he was also raising an ex-Espada of his own…

Well, that wasn't important to Ichigo at the moment. First things first. "Teach him some manners, damn it!"

Ishida adjusted his glasses and folded his arms with a smug look. "Heh… Can't fault the boy for speaking the truth."

"That's it!" Ichigo pushed his sleeves up, ready to make a lunge at his so-called long-time friend. Weren't they rivals to begin with? How did he ever manage to forget that?!

However, before anyone could make another move, another voice caught their attention. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimeko-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!"

Shinji entered the scene with his arms spread wide open, running towards Himeko…until he was stopped by Ginjo's foot ramming into his face, holding him off. "Th…that's harsh, Ginjo…," he said, trying to talk around the foot. "How could you? I taught you everything you know! I'm like your master!"

Ginjo grumbled. "Master my ass, you pervert! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"How can I not come say hi ta good ol' Uryuu?!"

"Then go throw yourself on _him_, but _hands_…_off_…my _sister_!" Ginjo said, pushing his foot into the vizard's face some more with every emphasized word. "How many times do I have ta tell you that?! Huh?!"

Shinji's arms flailed about. "…the pain…"

Ichigo heaved a sighed. "Oi, Ginjo, that's good enough."

"I'm not done with him, yet," Ginjo replied as he applied more pressure.

Ichigo frowned with annoyance. "I said stop already."

The blue-haired Kurosaki looked over at his father. "What? You want some o' this, too?"

"Are you even listening to me?!" the orange-haired Kurosaki simmered.

"Come on, old man! Another round of payback! Let's go!" With Shinji all but forgotten, Ginjo went over to Ichigo and threw the first punch, initiating their fight.

"What kind of idiot are you?!" Ichigo hollered but fought back nonetheless.

Shinji took a moment to rub his aching cheek. Then he turned around to watch the fight. "Come on, Ginjo! You can take him!"

Ishida was completely dumbfounded by the craziness that was unfolding before his eyes. He looked over at Rukia and had to wonder how she could just stand there and observe the fight that had broken out between her husband and her child with a smile on her face as though it was completely normal.

While all this mayhem was going on, Himeko tugged on Uriya's hand, and the two silently slipped back outside where things were quieter.

She scratched her forehead with a finger. "Heh…they'll be at it for a while."

"Your life seems…loud."

Himeko laughed as she placed her hands on the porch railing, looking out into their small garden.

Uriya joined her side, facing the opposite direction with his back leaning against the railing and his hands in his pockets.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and she frantically tried to think of something to say. "You know, Gin-chan would always grumble and swear and stuff, but he's actually having a lot of fun fighting with dad all the time. And whenever our grandpa comes over to visit, or we go to the clinic to visit him, he'd always be saying how he's so proud that they're keeping up the Kurosaki father and son tradition. More often than not, he'd get in on the fight, too! It looks like so much fun! I tried to join in one time, but they all just stopped when I did. Must be a guys-only thing… And then…"

Uriya observed her as she continued to talk. She was rambling. Whenever she rambled like this, it meant one thing. "Why are you so anxious?"

She came to a halt at that straightforward question and began to grip the railing tighter, her eyes downcast. "Aren't you going to ask me why?" she asked quietly and timidly.

He blinked, then he turned and looked at his feet. "No."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm herself. "Are you…upset with me?"

He looked back at her, surprised that she would even think such a thing. Eyeing her ever-tightening grip on the railing, he reached over to detach her hands from it before she hurt herself.

She turned toward him but was afraid to look up.

Uriya kept his eyes on their linked hands as he thought back to that dark night when he found her lifeless body after she had rejected the hougyoku. He had been devastated because, not only had he lost her, he had once again been unable to do anything for her. Nonetheless, he could never be upset with her. "I understand why you did what you did…why you did it without telling me."

She unknowingly tightened her hold on his hands as she listened. The hurt was evident, even in his ever-stoic voice.

"I know," he continued. "That is why I won't ask." He rubbed his thumbs gently over the back of her hands to help soothe her anxiety. "In the end, things turned out for the better, didn't it?" They were both humans now, and it solved their previous dilemma. It took longer to get here, but now they can be together, grow old together, and live a normal live. Well… as normal a life as possible, she being the child of a shinigami and he the descendant of a Quincy. He smirked slightly at the thought. "Everything is fine," he reassured.

She began to cry as she fastened herself to him, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist. "I missed you so much," she whispered between her quiet sobs.

He held her gently in return, burying his face in her hair, breathing her in.

After a while, she finally calmed down. When she tried to step back, however, he held her tighter. "Ulqui…Uriya?"

"You make me worry," he began, his voice barely above a whisper beside her ear. "If I were to let go…or turn around…I might lose sight of you again."

Fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

"Still…" his lips curled up slightly as the image of Akari Hime returned to his mind. "I will always find my way back to you."

She looked up, recognizing those words…the words of their promise.

He brushed his thumbs lightly across her cheeks, wiping away her tears. "I've somehow managed so far, haven't I? Even when I have forgotten?"

To that, she simply nodded and smiled, but it was a smile filled with joy, relief, and absolute faith.

He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Then he backed away ever so slightly, putting just enough space between them for him to speak. "Although…I would _very_ much appreciate it if the next search will not be for a long, long time to come."

She chuckled lightly. "I think I can work with that." Then a thought occurred to her and she bit her lower lip. "Um…I feel a bit silly asking, but…was that our first kiss?"

He smirked slightly in amusement. "Not really. Does it matter?" He captured her lips with another soft kiss.

She smiled against his lips. "…not really."

Then she wound her arms around his neck as he placed his around her waist, and the two of them shared another kiss…one deep enough to make up for all the time they had to spend apart from one another.

* * *

Back inside the Kurosaki household, the father and son brawl continued until Ichigo, who was in the process of being thrown to the floor, caught sight of the action outside. Scrambling to his feet with a shaky finger pointing outside the window, he turned to Ishida and all but freaked out. "What the hell is your son doing to my daughter?!"

Ishida took a look outside the window and his face turned as white as his Quincy outfit, his glasses nearly shattering from the shock as his mouth gaped like a fish out of water. For someone who, up through yesterday, didn't seem to even _notice_ that that opposite sex existed, his son sure moved lightening fast! And if Ishida wasn't so busy being a stunned father at the moment, he might have been just a tad bit envious of the boy.

When both fathers regained their wits, they rushed for the door. Before they could reach it, however, Ginjo stepped in front of the door and blocked their path with a threatening glare. "I don't care if you're parents or whatever now, but this goes back _way_ before even your great, great, great, great, great grandma was born, so stay the hell out of it."

Before any words of confusion or outrage could be voiced on Ichigo and Ishida's parts, Rukia suddenly appeared standing beside Ginjo with large sparkling eyes and her hands clasped in front of her. "Oh, Ginjo, you're being so cool! You're like the hero in this one book I was reading!"

Ginjo grumbled with a deepening scowl. "Damn it, woman! Quit comparing me to those lame characters in your girly books already!"

While Ginjo was distracted, Ichigo dove for the door. But when he opened it, the young couple outside was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"Hey, Uriya. Congratulations!" Himeko said as they walked leisurely down the sidewalk.

Uriya raised a brow slightly in query.

"You have two points now!"

He looked away with a smirk as he remembered her bizarre point keeping system.

"But I'm still beating you, because now I have three! And you know what?" she asked, wagging a finger. "I'm really competitive!" She locked her hands behind her back and turned her head towards the sky with a soft smile and a faraway look in her eyes. "I don't think I'll let you catch up."

He closed his eyes with a small sigh. "Then I hope you will be content with being just one point ahead, because I guarantee that the gap will not widen."

Her cheeks flushed as their eyes locked.

Then Ginjo's head popped in between theirs from behind as he placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Seriously…you gotta stop doing this in front of me." He had come after them as soon as he was able to shake Rukia off. It wasn't his idea of a good time to be the only one stuck with 'the folks'.

Himeko yelped as she jumped away. "Ah! When did you get here?!"

"Too early for my own good," her brother deadpanned. "You were just too wrapped up in your…" he waved a hand in the air, trying to find the words, "…lovers' code talk to notice."

She flushed redder with a small pout.

"And you," Ginjo turned his glare to the Quincy boy. "You knew I was here. You just like to watch me suffer."

Uriya merely spared Ginjo a glance. "You are the one who followed."

"Watching your old man and mine argue ain't my idea of fun," he explained. "If they actually fought, that would be a different story. Anyway, I'm starving. I need food."

"I thought we were supposed to go home for dinner," Himeko said. "Isn't mom cooking?"

Ginjo waved a dismissive hand. "She's busy playing referee."

"Oh…then maybe I should cook!" she brightened as she picked up Uriya's hand and held it in hers. "That's right! Today's the day we finally met up again! I should cook a nice meal for us to celebrate!"

Uriya casually moved his eyes from Himeko to Ginjo who was standing behind her with wide eyes, shaking his head minutely but ever so vigorously. He returned his attention to the girl. "Hime, perhaps we should go somewhere to celebrate," he said with a straight face. "I saw a café near the school this morning. It appears their grand opening is today. Dessert is supposedly their specialty."

"Oh! I've been waiting for that place to open!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I've looked at their menu, and I want to try all of their desserts!"

"Then that is where we shall go."

"Ok! Let's go!" She walked on ahead, ecstatic.

Ginjo grinned slyly at Uriya. "You haven't lost your touch. Another crisis avoided."

Uriya placed his hands in his pockets. "You can repay me by taking care of the bill."

"What?! No way!"

"I don't have enough on me to cover your appetite," Uriya said simply.

"I don't eat _that_ much," Ginjo retorted with indignation.

"You always eat the most," Uriya said, matter of fact. "Some things don't change. I am positive that is one of them."

Ginjo narrowed his eyes. "Fine, then…whoever eats the most pays. You game?"

Uriya wanted to point out that they had made this bet many times before back when they were still Ukita and Genji, and never once had Genji ever been the victor. Then again, it would be more amusing to let Ginjo remember on his own…after once again losing the bet. "Fine."

In the distance, Himeko turned around with a slightly impatient look. "Hey, are you guys coming? Hurry up!"

Ginjo chuckled as Uriya smirked. With more ease and content than they'd felt in far too long, they followed after her. It was like the three of them had just picked up right where they'd left off all those centuries ago, and the time in between filled with desperate searching, hopeless waiting, and mindless fighting was nothing more than a mere interlude.

…_END…_

* * *

Author's Confession: One of the reasons why I started writing this story was because I initially saw this end, with Ulquiorra and Grimmjow reincarnated as Ishida and Ichigo's children, and thought it would be the funniest thing, so I hope you share my sentiments on the matter. LOL! I can't belive it's over! I'm so excited and sad all at the same time!

And now, can we all put the cyberstones away? I am a fan of happy endings after all. Haha! And forgive Urahara, too? Please?

Ages: Ginjo is 17, Uriya is 16, and Himeko is 15.

Names. Same as before, I came up with them first by sound, then selected the meanings:

Gin means "silver". Jo means "dawn". Silver dawn…I'm not sure if it necessarily describes him, but it sounds kind of cool, and I like the meaning.

Hime means "princess". Ko means "child" and is often used in girls' names. Also, when hime is used as a prefix, it can mean "little/small" or "pretty". So, instead of "princess child", I guess her name could also mean "little/pretty child". It's a bit weird either way, but I really wanted to keep Hime in her name.

U means "rain". Ri means "reason/logic". Ya means "arrow". Is this one perfect or what? It's the perfect name for the Quincified Ulquiorra. LOL! _And_ it also follows what appears to be the Ishida family naming convention where the son's name takes on one of the characters of the father's name: Sou**ken**/Ryuu**ken**, **Ryuu**ken/U**ryuu**, **U**ryuu/**U**riya. See! It was meant to be. Haha!

And just to reiterate, I'm no expert in Japanese. Don't take my word here as gospel. Heh…

Oh, if you can't remember what the deal was with Hime's bizarre point keeping system, check back to Chapter 12. If you still don't get what they're talking about, you can ask me.

This chapter was super long compared to the others, but it's really just a quick overview of how things turned out. There's a lot more details in my head on how this life works. Seriously, these days I think 75 percent of my brain is in this world on a constant basis. That can't be too healthy. LOL! I'm probably going to do a collection of vignettes looking into the trio's new lives, before and after their reunion. So, if you're curious…or perhaps not completely sold on the idea of Ulqui and Grimm being a Quincy and a shinigami/vizard…this might help. Interested?

It'll also help set the stage somewhat for the sequel that _hopefully_ will be coming. I've been bombarded with ideas for like the past 2 months, but it's not a sure thing yet. Everything's still discombobulated in my head right now, and unless I can work out a complete outline, I won't post anything. Personal policy. But at the moment, I think it's pretty likely…though it will be at _least_ a few months before it happens. The sequel will be more about Grimm. Ulqui and Hime will be in it too, of course, but they switch the lead and support roles with Grimm. Because Genji/Grimm/Ginjo is my baby, too, and he needs some spotlight as well. Haha! And since the whole end of the world thing's done and over with, the story will be on a smaller scale. Well, I hope you'll give it a try if and when it happens.

Many thanks for reading!

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed! You make this project so much more enjoyable!!

Extra special thanks to Inulover4eva and Psy t r a n c e! The two of you have been with this story literally since day one and providing me with constant feedback. You have no idea how grateful I am, especially in the beginning when I wasn't getting a whole lot of response and I was just sitting here wondering if anybody's even reading the darn thing. LOL!

To my silent readers, you've come this far, if I can get some final overall thought from you, I'd be happy.

That's all for now! Until next time!


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